


Thrylomachy

by Writer207



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Character Death, Every Legend will have a moment to shine, Gen, I'll probably add as the story progresses, Interactions with Greek deities, Mythology References, Shenanigans could happen, Sometimes more than references, Tags Are Hard, don't know what else to tag, multiple - Freeform, mythological creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-01-01 00:04:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 75,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18324674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer207/pseuds/Writer207
Summary: Mallus wasn't the only demon that escaped his prison.The Giantess Periboea escaped from the Underworld and plans to plunge the known world into chaos.The Legends, with the Olympians' blessing, are the only ones capable of stopping her.But the gods are stubborn and the Legends must first earn that blessing.The Legends screwed up big time. Not only did their stunt to defeat Mallus bring magical Fugitives into their world, but it also cracked the walls of the Underworld and a dangerous Giantess escaped. With plans to kill the Greek gods and bring Destruction to the world, the Legends have no choice but to help the weakened gods. Thrown into a world they did not know previously existed, they must fight Greek Fugitives and stop the Giantess before she can succeed.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _General disclaimers:_
> 
> A) I do not own DC's Legends of Tomorrow. Obviously.
> 
> B) Everything up to and including "Witch Hunt" is canon and has happened before the start of this story.
> 
> C) I will not take most of season four into account (again, only up to "Witch Hunt"), for the simple reason that season three just finished when I started planning the story. So Wally will appear, but Charlie will not.
> 
> D) I started planning for, and outlining this story in late August/early September. Evidently, season four had not aired yet. Should, by any chance, Greek monsters show up that the show also used… I decided to use them before I even had the chance to see them come alive on the small screen.
> 
> E) I did watch season four while I wrote the first draft (starting in November) and am currently still revising. If any monsters are the same, I stuck to my original plan, though it is possible the show might influence their appearance/behavioral patterns in my writing.
> 
> F) You do not need to know everything about Greek mythology to understand this story; everything will be explained thoroughly whenever something shows up in the story. Still, feel free to look up some extra information if you'd like.
> 
> That was all. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

When the earth shook, the Giantess Periboea did not let it distract her. After all, she resided in the Underworld – the ground regularly shook and in this prison, nobody ever paid much attention to the shaking anyway. The inmates dismissed it as another trivial thing; another time Poseidon became angry, Hephaestus let a volcano blow or someone had tried to escape.

Periboea had not known the world for a long time. As soon as her father and uncles had been born from Gaea, their mother – Mother Earth – they were sent to Mount Olympus to kills the gods and replace them. Their plans to rule the world were thwarted by the Olympians, who killed every Giant that rose against them. The Giants were sent to Tartarus – a literal Hell, where the worst of the worst ended up in death. Other than a brief glance at a blue and green world, Periboea only knew red and brown, hellfire and shadows.

The ground did not stop shaking. Other inmates pointed at Poseidon throwing a tantrum, but Periboea did not believe this. Poseidon's earthquakes were different – they were regular and its tremors could be felt when she placed her hand on the hot rock wall keeping everyone inside Tartarus. These tremors continued for way too long to be Poseidon's and she could feel them in her bones; something that had not happened before.

Something big – something  _wrong_  – was going on.

Periboea was right. As soon as the tremors stopped, their prison guards flew around in a frenzy and kept a closer eye on everyone than they would have done before. The inmates – Giants, monsters, and evil human souls alike – grew uneasy. It was only inevitable a riot broke out. The Titan Cronus started it, demanding to be set free, and everyone's attention was fixed on him, his followers and their struggle at the gates of Tartarus.

Nobody was paying attention to Periboea when she noticed a crack in the red rock wall. As she approached it, she found it was big enough to allow for someone of her posture to squeeze through. Despite what her name may suggest, the Giants were trapped in human-size forms so they would better fit in and were more easily manageable. In this state, with her small posture, she had a chance to escape.

The Giantess turned her head to the gigantic crowd. Her father, Eurymedon, was talking to some of her uncles, Alcyoneus, Clytius, and Mimas. Another uncle, Ephialtes, supported Cronus and attacked the guards. With one look on them, Periboea decided to leave them behind. They would draw too much attention to her and would proclaim the escape route to everyone who wanted to hear. She did not want them to jeopardize her chances of escaping.

When she was certain nobody looked, she climbed into the crack, pushing and squeezing herself deeper and deeper. It did not give her any extra room as she progressed, but it did not grow smaller either. She forced herself to keep moving, out of fear the prison guards would follow her.

They could not follow her here. They were too big to fit in the crack and could only seal it to make sure nobody else could pass. Periboea was free of Tartarus! She only needed to push through.

After what felt like an eternal uphill climb, a small ray of sunlight broke the darkness. Half an hour later, Periboea exited the crack and lay on the grass. She was exhausted from the effort and laughed like a small girl. It did not matter that the sun nearly blinded her and that the texture of grass that was not barren was strange to her. She finally saw the blue and green world she had only seen once. And she was happy.

Periboea did not stay in the Greek meadow for too long. The guards were going to notice the one female Giantess was missing. They were going to look for her and take her back to that hellhole. For now, she had to be content with passing for a human and staying in that tiny human form for the time being. When she was strong enough again, Periboea would be able to grow to her original size again, but that had to wait.

Periboea walked away from the crack she'd crawled out of and grinned. The world was beautiful, yes, but the Olympians were still in charge. Her fathers and uncles had taught her they had been horrible and the world needed the Giants.

The Giantess would continue what her father and uncles started and unlike them, she would succeed. She would bring Destruction to Mount Olympus and kill the gods. She would free her uncles and rule and kill anyone who opposed her, and anyone who prevented her from reaching her life-long goal.


	2. Reunion

Fighting the unicorn was a bit weird. The Fairy Godmother had been even stranger. But seeing a grown woman transform into an eight-foot-tall sphinx trumped everything they had ever seen – well, almost everything. At the same time, they witnessed the first instance of two Fugitives – a female ghost and some Irish folk hero – peacefully giving up their place and returning to the world they had come from. By now, the Legends had learned not to expect anything too specific when dealing with these Fugitives, as literally anything could happen.

After the adventure with the Sphinx, the Legends decided they deserved a little break from hunting Fugitives. It was so crazy, they needed it. Of course, when the time seismograph indicated some Fugitive was wreaking havoc, they would immediately jump into action. But for now, they relaxed and waited for their friends in 2018 to come and visit them on the Waverider.

Sara, Ray, and Zari waited on the bridge while Mick and John were somewhere on the ship. They were either minding their own business or annoyed each other for invading the personal space they so desired because they had to share their space and time with a prick.

"When did they say they would arrive again?" Ray asked.

"You don't have to ask this every two minutes," a frustrated Zari muttered under her breath. It was still loud enough for Ray and Sara to hear.

"They'll be here soon," Sara said in a reassuring tone that was more for Ray than Zari.

Ray nodded. There probably was some little something in the Time Bureau they had to take care of before they could return to the Waverider. Besides, Ray suddenly remembered, it was impossible to be late – they could easily enter the Waverider's present time with the time courier whenever they wanted to.

The thought had only just crossed his mind when a window to the Time Bureau opened. Nate and Wally passed through the time portal and boarded the time ship. The two were heartily welcomed back.

Nata and Ray immediately hugged each other – this was the longest they had gone without one another since Nate joined the Legends. When you were jumping from one point in time to another and passed from one adventure to the next, you'd want your best friend by your side, if only to share those awesome moments.

Wally turned to Zari and they greeted each other with wide grins on their faces. Zari may not have liked the speedster at first, but as the two newest members of the Legends, they worked well together and had become good friends over the months. She would never openly admit she missed him on the ship, but Wally knew and that was enough.

"Where's Ava?" The time courier-generated portal closed before anyone else could pass through it. The Time Bureau's director had promised the Waverider's captain she would be visiting soon, whenever her work allowed it.

"She still had a lot of work to do," Nate explained. "She has to re-organize a lot of paperwork that Gary first claimed to have taken care of. She did tell me to tell you she'll swing by next weekend and you're always welcome to visit her in 2018."

Sara nodded in understanding. She left the bridge to return to her room or some other place that wasn't her office. She could catch up with Nate and Wally later; for the time being, it seemed their guests wanted to spend some time with their BFFs first and that they would socialize with the rest of the team later.

But the bridge was not very accommodating to their guests. While Nate and Ray headed to the kitchen – Nate hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and had become quite hungry – Wally and Zari chose to aimlessly wander through the corridors of the Waverider.

"So, how's the soul searching been?" Zari asked him.

Wally shrugged, a smile on his face and his hands in his pockets. "It's been… good. Enlightening."

"That's good to hear," Zari said. There was a small pause, but Zari could not avoid the elephant in the room. "How did it go with your, er, your niece?"

Zari could not help being curious. Despite being a frequent time traveler and having just visited herself and her mother in 2018, meeting your twenty-year-old niece, as of yet unborn in the present time, was a completely different situation. It was strange to refer to the grown woman that had entered the West home uninvited as Wally's niece.

"Turns out she just wants to spend some time with Barry," Wally explained. "She has no bad intentions."

"She sounds like a good person," Zari remarked. She expected nothing less of the daughter of Barry and Iris.

Wally nodded. "I'm sure she is."

A longer pause fell. They stopped strolling and the two friends looked at each other. Another smile appeared on Zari's face.

"It's good to see you again," she said.

Wally grinned. "You too."

* * *

In the kitchen, Nate was doing his best to fit an entire sandwich into his mouth. This morning had been crazy and he hadn't had any time to even take a bit of some snack in between assignments, as he previously told Ray. Eventually, he took a large bite. He nodded once and spoke after swallowing that bite.

"These are the best sandwiches!" Nate proclaimed. "The ones at the Time Bureau are a bit stale sometimes. They definitely needed those funds…"

Ray nodded in response. He had tasted one of the Time Bureau sandwiches before, and the Waverider food tasted better by comparison. After Nate took another bite, Ray decided to ask a question that had been on his mind for a while.

"How are things going between you and your dad?"

"We're good," Nate responded. "We're starting to get a bond that we didn't really have before. It feels great that there are no secrets between us anymore. It really improved our communication. Though it's a bit weird he knows about Steel."

The pride he had felt when he could first reveal what he was to his father had changed into a strange sense of embarrassment. It had been Nate's secret – Nate's and his grandfather's. Hank was the missing link and the fact that he knew about Steel felt like some sort of violation he could not quite put his finger on. Nate convinced himself the feeling would pass, but he wondered when it would eventually pass.

"He should be proud to have a time-traveling superhero as a son," Ray said.

"If he's proud, he's still not very good at showing it," Nate retorted. He ate what was left of his sandwich.

"Say, have you found Nora Darhk yet?" Nate asked out of the blue. Ray frowned and panicked, a semi-surprised expression on his face. Seeing Ray's reaction, Nate sighed. "I work at the Time Bureau, I've seen the 'missing' posters."

That made sense. "Not yet," Ray replied.

"She is a dangerous woman."

"Definitely."

"She should be serving her time."

Ray shrugged. "Well…"

"So why did you enable her to escape?"

For the second time, Ray acted shocked and surprised in an incredibly bad way. "What? No! I-I didn't—"

"Yes, you did," Nate said resolutely. The expression on his face suggested that he knew what Ray had done and that he would not believe any possible lies Ray may try to sell him. "Dude, I get it. You're all about second chances and you wanted to give Nora that second chance. But's she's Nora Darhk. She and her father freed Mallus and wanted to wreck time!"

Ray did not know how to react to that. Yes, she did some bad things in the past, but Ray had this gut feeling. She was going to be a good person without her father's influence. That did not excuse the bad things she had done. Now he thought about it, he may have helped her evade a jail sentence she may have deserved, but he did not want her to waste away in jail. Ray's conscience was clear.

Nate shook his head after a lack of response. "You have horrible taste in women."

The color flushed out of Ray's face. "Is it that obvious?"

"It kinda is," Nate confessed. "Just… don't let her go to your head, man."

"I'll try," Ray promised. He did fantasize about seeing Nora again. Still, he could only guess what would happen when he saw her again, but he was certain that she would have changed. She had to have changed for the better. Nate didn't think Ray would be able to get over it if it turned out Nora hadn't changed at all.

* * *

Sara found her way back to the captain's office, after finding there was nothing she could do in her own room or any other room on the ship. At least in her office, she could do some of the paperwork the Time Bureau had asked her to do. If she reported each Fugitive they fought and returned to hell or was taken captive, they could prove that they did need the government funds. When she was done filing the paperwork for the unicorn and the Fairy Godmother, she could train a bit. It's been a while since she's done this and it seemed like a good reward for doing the boring side of her job.

_"Captain Lance, it seems you have a visitor."_

Sara's heart skipped a beat and a grin appeared on her face. she looked into the bridge, hoping to see Ava walking around and announcing her work was done for the day.

Their visitor was not Ava. Instead, a man strolled into the bridge as if he belonged there. He was dressed casually, but when Sara saw him, she was immediately reminded of some politician. He did look familiar – or maybe that was just that politician-like face that made her think she knew him.

Either way, he should not be here. It was impossible – the radar did not show any other time ship in the Waverider's vicinity and if he worked for the Time Bureau, he would have been wearing a suit and tie, not some jacket and jeans. The main question on her mind was about how this man acquired a time courier and the coordinates of the time ship.

"Who are you?" Sara asked, ready to attack if that was needed. Once the man turned his head to Sara, some sort of comfort came over her. She didn't know what it was, but he made her feel comfortable by just looking at her.

"Hello, miss Lance," the man said. "I have news for you and your Legends. Would you mind asking everyone to come over here?" He spoke as if he was used to giving orders and getting his way.

Sara thought about whether or not to trust the strange man who had seemingly popped up out of nowhere if he did not have a time courier. Should she repeat the question? Should she attack or doubt his intentions? Should she ask the team to come over to provide back-up? Eventually, Sara's curiosity took the better of her and she figured the man seemed to have no bad intentions. If he did want to do some harm, he would have already attacked her and he would not have asked Sara to assemble the remaining Legends.

"Gideon," Sara said, ready to give the order.

 _"Already on it,"_  Gideon responded, having followed the conversation and now asking the Legends to come to the bridge. While the Legends made their way to the bridge, Sara did not take her eyes off of the strange man and only one thought crossed her mind.

_Who is that man?_


	3. The Messenger

The Legends stared at the stranger in the bridge. He would have fit right in on the time ship: a youthful face with short shaven brown hair; a pair of jeans and a white shirt under a brown jacket. It looked like he had a trick up his sleeve, and the knowing half-smile on his face seemed to suggest he knew more than everyone on the ship combined. On top of that, there was something familiar about his face – it was like they had seen him before.

Each Legend had their own thoughts about the stranger. Constantine, for example, stayed close to one of the exits of the bridge and tried not to draw too much attention to himself. Upon entering, he intuitively had felt the power, the energy this stranger possessed. He had never felt anything like it when facing a normal human like the Legends and so, it was best not to piss off the stranger or to come too close. Most other Legends stopped and stared, surprised and shocked – they had come to the same conclusions Sara had come to. He was not with the Time Bureau, so how did he get on board?

Sara was about to ask Gideon to secretly gather information about their stowaway when Mick walked on to the ship. His facial expression did not change upon seeing the stranger, but he did bluntly ask: "Who the hell are you?"

The man turned his head to Mick. "I guess that is the question, isn't it?" There was a hint of a British accent in his voice. He looked around at the group, all of them warily staring at him. "I don't expect you to recognize me. We haven't met before. My name is Hermes. I am the god of messengers and travelers, of merchants and thieves."

"Hermes?" Nate said, a frown on his face. "As in, the Greek god Hermes?"

"Yes, that Hermes," the stranger confirmed with one nod. Nate's face promptly paled while Ray, who stood next to him, had a hint of recognition on his face. The others did not know enough about Greek mythology to warrant a reaction.

"Unfortunately, I am not here for friendly conversation," Hermes continued. "I came because your actions half a year ago caused an inmate of the Underworld to escape its prison."

"Mallus." Sara sighed and folded her arms. Even after defeating him and having to clean up the Fugitives, they had to deal with him.

"Not Mallus," Hermes said. "You locked him up. He's back where he belongs. No, I came here because the Giantess escaped from Tartarus."

"And that means?" Mick wondered. Like all the other Legends, he had no idea what any of that was supposed to mean. Everyone wondered what Mallus had to do with this Giantess; all except Zari, who was still trying to recover from learning a Greek 'god' was standing in front of her.

"When you released the demon Mallus, the shockwave was so great, you cracked one of Hell's walls. The Giantess Periboea was one of the few who could escape before they fixed it. Since the Underworld exists beyond time, we suspect she arrived in 2015. As such, she has had three years to prepare for war."

"Three years, you say?" Constantine interrupted the god. If she has had three years to prepare, why did they allow this to happen? How did you not find a giantess in the real world?

"While the Underworld exists beyond time, Olympus does not," Hermes explained, "To us, she escaped two days ago. That was when we found signs pointing towards her in 2018. Aren't your Fugitives also scattered across time?"

He paused for a moment so that the Legends could get behind his argumentation.

"No disrespect," Sara said, "but if she's been running around in 2015, we would've found her already."

Hermes shook his head. "I don't believe you know what a proper Giant is or that you could spot one. They can easily hide among humans. Their size can be managed. They do prefer to be big, but if need be, they will stay as small as a human and remain nearly undetectable.

"The Giantess is bitter towards us. When her family was punished for attacking the gods, she was sent to Tartarus with them. Now she is free and she is planning to continue what her family started. She would rather see the world burn before she returns to the Underworld.

"She has regained her strength over the years. While she stands alone, a Giant cannot be killed by a man alone, or a god alone. They can only be killed by the combined effort of man and god. That is why the Olympians have decided to choose you to fight the Giantess." Hermes paused for effect. "You have our full authority to act as necessary, but that doesn't mean you can kill her yet. So some of you will be our champions."

"What do you mean by 'champions'?" Wally asked. Hermes turned his head to him.

"As a champion, some of you will enjoy the endorsement of one specific god. They will give you blessings that may help in the fight against the Giantess. You will be able to kill her. Still, however much we'd like to bring her back to the Underworld, some gods can be… picky."

"What's that mean?" Mick asked. The Legends had the impression Mick wasn't paying full attention and possibly tuned out about halfway through the info dump.

"It means the gods won't easily name a champion," Nate explained. Then Mick understood and the conversation could continue.

"Or they won't choose at all," Hermes added. His eyes briefly rested on Constantine, who turned away his gaze. "Some of my brothers and sisters don't have much confidence in you. It's more than likely those won't name a champion." He did not give any information about these particular gods; the Legends could only guess which ones would be interested in naming a champion and how many Legends would, in the end, become champions and gain the ability to kill this Giantess.

"While we know the Giantess is in Greece, we haven't been able to pinpoint her exact location yet. We will share this information when it becomes available." Hermes took a deep breath. "Do not disappoint us. You cannot afford to lose this battle. So far, you have the advantage that the Giantess doesn't know you're coming after her. Good luck."

The god was about to walk away from the group to leave them in peace, but he made one more decision. He turned to Wally, a serious look on his face and another emotion Wally could not place yet.

"Wally West," Hermes spoke in a ceremonious tone, "I hereby name you my champion. May you run faster than before and may you and your friends defeat the Giantess."

Without further ado, Hermes turned and exited the bridge. None of the Legends chased the god – everyone had their eyes on Wally, who was at a loss of words. The full implications had yet to skin in and for the moment, he was in shock.

 _"Hermes has left the ship,"_  Gideon helpfully announced.

"I…" Wally stammered. "I'm just gonna—" he pointed at the exit Hermes had taken. "Y-You know." He then sped away, either to his room or someplace else he felt comfortable.

"What just happened?" Ray asked nobody in particular. This could not really be happening, right? They were not just told to clean up another one of their messes. Ray did not know much about Greek mythology, but what he did know was horrifying, especially if those monsters actually existed. The Greek god confirmed the existence of so many terrible creatures: the Medusa, the Minotaur, those two sea monster-beings Odysseus had to avoid… And now a Giantess and possibly some of her monster friends she would definitely send to cause some havoc somehow.

"I guess we have to fight this Giantess," Sara said. For once, she got all of the Legends to agree with her.

Except for John Constantine. He stormed out of the bridge.


	4. Decisions

After Sara confirmed the Legends probably would obey the Greek god, Constantine left the bridge. He was heading to his room and he shook his head once. That something had gone wrong in the Underworld was their fault, not his, and he sure as hell was not going to get involved.

"John!" Sara shouted. She had followed him down the corridor. John sighed and stopped, turning around so the two could have a conversation.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked him.

"I'm leaving," John answered. He could already imagine what Sara was thinking about him giving up on the team. He didn't bother with that. She wouldn't understand, anyway.

"John—"

"No," he interrupted her, an angry look on his face. "I am not doing this." He articulated every word and luckily, Sara did not try to convince him to stay. It would only be a waste of everyone's time.

"Why don't you help out?" Sara then asked. It was not a question to try to get him to stay aboard, but it was a genuine question she wanted to know the answer to.

His mind flashed back to the events of last year. The brujería tried to take over the world, to plunge the world into darkness. He and his allies had fought them. He killed the rogue angel he'd been communicating with and thought he could trust – for as far as John trusted angels, which did not happen often. He even descended into Hell to take care of one of Manny's allies and managed to return home.

Yes, they had won the war. John's soul no longer was damned, but it wasn't out of the clear just yet. But he also lost so much during the fight. He could not save everyone, and it weighed on his shoulders. When it was done, he was certain he was not going to do something similar ever again.

"I already got dragged into one religious war," John said, "and I am not going to participate in another one." Let those gods fix their problems themselves. He already prevented the Rising Darkness from rising any further, and that was enough world-saving action for the next ten years.

"This isn't religious," Sara mentioned. "This is Greek mythology. With Greek gods."

Maybe she was trying to rationalize meeting the god. Maybe she said it out loud to convince herself, or to at least get Constantine aboard with her train of thought. But she did not receive any confirmation.

"Exactly,  _gods_ ," he said. "People once worshipped them. Their mythology is a religion that died out."

So he changed Sara's mind. A silence followed, but he did get what he wanted by the time Sara spoke up again.

"Where do we drop you off?"

That was easier than he thought it would be.

"2018 would be nice," John said. And when they were done with this Greek stuff, they could come back to him and ask him for help. He would need to travel around so that Neron would not find him, but traveling was better than being stuck cleaning up the mess the Legends had made.

Sara nodded again. "Go pack up."

She then turned and walked away from him, to tell the team that John had quit. Constantine was not the least bit bothered by Sara's reaction to his decision; no matter how well he would explain it, she wouldn't understand. None of them would. It was nice to get that confirmation he was allowed to leave, though he did not need it.

John continued to walk to his room. He would pack his things and move back to 2018 until this Giantess-ordeal was over. Hopefully, Neron would not find him in the meantime.

* * *

"What do we do?" Zari asked. All things considered, her being the first to speak up was a thankful given to the group. Sara had given a clear answer – we'll just have to fight that Giantess – before going after John. Not every Legend liked to have to take a break from cleaning up their mess to clean up another one of their messes. Then again, only Mick may not like taking orders from gods – Sara was basically the only authority figure he could stand.

"I don't know," Ray said, rubbing his neck. "But we can't just ignore this." When a literal god came down from the heavens to personally give you a job to do, you couldn't just refuse.

"Why don't we just tell them to screw themselves?" Mick asked. He did not particularly care about what was going to happen, but the whole situation sounded fishy. Why them? Why now? If there are Greek monsters out there, they were going to show up on their radar one day or another, shouldn't they? He didn't need a god to tell him what to do.

"Bad idea," Nate reacted, a nervous look on his face, "Really bad idea. The gods are… well, they're very entitled and easily offended. They're known to lose their shit over small things, especially when we don't want to do what they tell us to do. Trust me, when they tell us to do something, we'd better do it. Whether we like it or not." Or we risk severe punishment.

The gods liked to punish the mortals that disobeyed them, that insulted them, or that just annoyed them. Nate remembered one story where there was one queen who had seven daughters and seven sons. She threw some shade to Apollo and Artemis' mother because she has six more sets of son-daughter pairs. As a result, Artemis and Apollo killed the seven daughters and seven sons for their own mother to teach the queen a lesson. At least, that's how Nate remembered it.

"What happens when we don't fight the Giantess?" Zari wondered. Everyone turned to Nate again, and he cursed under his breath. He may be a historian, but he did not delve deep into Greek mythology beyond what everyone else would be exposed to – he knew there were twelve major gods, that Zeus was the big one, and he knew some common myths. Subsequently, he had no idea what the effect would be on the world if they allowed Periboea to carry out her plans.

"I don't know," Nate admitted, "We don't even know how powerful Giants can be. Or how destructive the Giantess will be when she executes her plans. And if the gods really want us to take up the fight and we don't, the gods may strike us down or do something horrible."

"So we have to do this," Mick said in an exasperated tone. He did not sound pleased at all.

Nate shrugged and he folded his arms. "It looks like it." He leaned against the console. Nobody seemed to happy to be thrust into the situation. Zari breathed deeply and started to come to terms with what was going to happen. The semi-permanent glare on Mick's face was even bigger now. Ray and Nate did not know how to feel.

Sara walked back into the bridge, looking a bit irritated. Since John did not follow her and given her frustrated outlook, the Legends could easily guess her conversation with John had not gone well.

"John's out," Sara announced. "He's not going to help us."

"He's not?" Ray frowned. he'd figured this entire situation was something straight up his alley. They did not like the idea of John leaving when they might need him the most. Sara explained John's reasons, but they were not terribly upset not to have John on the Waverider. They managed to push through crises without Constantine at their side, they would be able to do the same now.

"So… are we going to do this?" Sara asked, gauging the reaction and willingness of her team to start this adventure.

"Looks like we're going to give them what they want," Zari said, struggling to refer to Hermes and his associates as gods.

Ray took a breath. "Not an adventure I expected… but after killer unicorns and homicidal fairy godmothers, why not add Greek monsters to the mix?" He glanced at the other Legends.

"Did he say anything about where to start looking?" Mick asked. Of course he hadn't quite been paying attention.

"No, he didn't," Zari said. "

"Great," Mick commented, "We're flying in blind."

"Should we try to find her?" Nate wondered out loud. Hermes may have promised to give them the Giantess' exact location, but when was he going to find her? It would probably be more efficient if Gideon was keeping an eye out for their Giantess, too, since she was basically another Fugitive now. A dangerous and ancient Fugitive, but a Fugitive nonetheless.

"She could stay hidden," Ray then said. "I mean, she escaped her prison three years ago. She could have been preparing this for just as long and it seems to me she's comfortable hiding away. We could keep an eye on her, but we could also look for some Greek monsters she may have enlisted to help her wreak havoc."

Sara agreed with his suggestion. Gideon already detected changes in the timeline, but Sara had her keep an eye on situations which may relate to Greek mythology and Greek creatures as well as the Giantess Periboea.

Now they just had to wait for a Fugitive to show up on their radar.


	5. Caledonian Boar

The Fugitives were quite active. Only some hours after the Legends decided to do as the Greek gods pleased, the time seismograph a change in the timeline. Sara was already present in the captain's office, enjoying a good glass of whiskey to prepare herself for the road ahead, and she sprung up from her chair.

"What are we dealing with, Gideon?" she asked, walking over to the console on the bridge, the glass still in her hand.

_"There is an anomaly in the late 15th century France."_  Pictures and other evidence of the anomaly popped up on the console screens and Sara looked at them. The map showed a city called Rouen, about 75 miles northwest of Paris and relatively close to the ocean. Most of the trouble seemed to be caused in the forests and the countryside surrounding the city by the Seine. Since this was the past, not much materials survived the test of time and it was hard to guess what was going on. One big lead did exist in the form of a myth. A giant beast roamed around in the woods near Rouen, and it will take you if you are wandering through his territory at night. People had been mauled to death, even when the beast was not provoked, and it was dangerous enough that nobody ever entered the woods of their own free will. Only if they truly needed to go into the woods, they would still make haste as not to provoke this beast.

"Gideon, plot a course. Tell the others to prepare." They were going to France.

* * *

_Rouen (France), 1475_

After dressing themselves in the appropriate clothing for the time period and location, the Legends exited the Waverider and set foot in the French town. None of the locals paid attention to the newcomers; they were too busy tending to their own business. Some kids were playing in the cobblestone streets under a nice autumn sun while their mothers worked at home or washed their linen.

Nate was the only Legend who looked around with wide eyes. He still loved to visit the different time periods, seeing the sights as they used to be and experiencing life as it once had been. It was such a shame he could not bring his knowledge to modern times without having done proper research to present to the community or without giving up the secret of time travel. He had grown accustomed to the changing environments, but ever new sight still amazed him. Rouen was just beautiful, with its cobblestone streets and the last of the clay houses that were going to be replaced by stone and brick homes in the near future.

The other Legends weren't as fascinated with the architecture of this town. They were only concerned with finding the Fugitive somewhere in the woods and figuring out what the best way was to take it down. the plan was to talk to the locals to hear what they had to say – they usually had the insider information, and the right person could give them all the information they needed.

Unfortunately, these people were not very happy to answer questions about the beast in the forest. They were too afraid to speak. Rather, they were frightened – if they spoke about it, it would definitely hear them and target them. The locals truly believed mentioning the beast was equal to summoning it, as a drunkard on the street happily explained. He did not seem to be as superstitious as the others or did not mind being taken by the beast of the forest.

Other than this information, they were none the wiser about what the Fugitive in the woods actually was. An hour of asking people had not helped them. they could only be sure that the beast was probably an animal. That did not mean they knew which animal they would have to deal with. Mick's mind immediately went to sabretooth tigers and mammoths, as well as other ice age creatures that chose the forest as its home and killed all humans it came across. Wally and Zari agreed with his theory, but Ray was a bit skeptical about a mammoth living in the forest.

"Guys?" Nate said in a hushed tone as if he was afraid of being overheard. "I think we're being followed."

The Legends – as usually happens when someone said this – turned their heads to find the person or people who had been following them, some a bit more discretely than the others. Naturally, they could not see anyone acting or looking at them suspiciously. Nate couldn't find the person anymore, either; they had disappeared just as quickly as Nate had spotted them.

"Who is following us?" Zari wondered out loud. Who would even be following them in 15th century France? The last thing they needed was to come across Darhk, Merlyn, or Thawne. They already had so much to do, they could not add a past threat to that list.

"Who cares?" Mick responded. "Where's the monster?" He had been walking around for an hour without results. He was starting to feel like setting something on fire, such as the Fugitive – if it would only show its face. it was a great way to blow off some steam.

"Probably in the forest," Ray said. If the myths said most people were hurt in the woods, that was where they would find their Fugitive.

"I'll go check it out," Wally said in a burst of enthusiasm.

"Wally…" Sara began in an attempt to stop him and to explain him they were going there as a group anyway, but Wally had already raced away before Sara could finish his name. Half a minute later, their resident speedster already returned. That had taken longer than expected – maybe today, he had taken his time to scout the area. Or he had run a bit more slowly.

"There's definitely something out there," Wally said. "I couldn't identify the paw prints, but they were this big." He placed the tips of his thumbs on one another as well as the tips of his index fingers to form a circle.

"Those are big," Ray commented. While he was with the boy scouts, he never came across anything with paw prints that big.

"I know," Wally said and he broke the circle.

"Guys!" Nate said with a tone of urgency. He was looking to his side, into the street they were standing in and seemed to be focused on one woman moving closer towards them.

"That's her," Nate said, "She followed us."

All Legends turned their attention to their stalker. The white linen was elegantly draped on her body. The tunic reached as far down as her ankles and slightly waved in the wind. Her brown braid rested upon her right shoulder and both her clothes and her olive skin signaled she did not belong in this place. She had a calm and collected disposition and, despite her youth, she seemed much wised than she looked.

"Excuse me," she asked with a clear and easily understandable voice, "but have you come to kill the boar?"

"The boar?" Sara repeated. Was the monster they were looking for just a boar? The woman nodded.

"Yes. The Caledonian boar. He's been terrorizing these people for days now."

"Yes, we're here for the boar," Ray said. He had learned to trust his gut feeling – and when a Greek-looking woman asked you whether you were here for the boar, she would not have that message for just anyone. "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."

The woman straightened her back. "My name is Alkestis. I am the oracle of Dodona and I have been displaced for three days."

This was strange. There were two Fugitives in the same place and time; an oracle and some boar. It did not happen often that more than one displaced person, creature or item was in the same location. But the oracle was a real person of flesh and bone, an anachronism more than a Fugitive, waiting for the Legends to show up and to tell them about the Caledonian boar.

Nate's eyes widened.

"You're an oracle!" He exclaimed as if it were something exciting. "Wait, so does this mean that you knew—"

"Yes, I knew you would come here," Alkestis finished the sentence for him. there was a smile on her face – she must be happy to find the people she had foreseen would come to bring her home.

"What's an oracle?" Mick so disrespectfully asked. The other Legends shot glances at him, but Alkestis did not seem to mind. And if she did, she was hiding it well.

"By Apollo's grace, I can look into the future," she said without batting an eye. The honest answer and the creepy stare she gave him had taken Mick aback. Once that was over, she continued.

"The boar indeed roams through the woods. When you fight it, you might want to try and attack from the sides. He's not very versatile and his sides are his weak spot. Most heroes only focus on the face and neck. Good luck."

Alkestis was about to turn her back to the Legends and return to the kind people who let her stay with them when Zari stopped her.

"Wait," she said. "Aren't you coming with us?"

Alkestis turned to Zari. "Would you want me to come along?"

"We can bring you home," the totem bearer said. "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to.

The oracle's face lit up and a modest smile appeared on her face. She managed not to show too much of her excitement to return home. "If you would be so kind."

The Legends brought the oracle to the Waverider. They showed her the futuristic ship that can ride the air and Alkestis looked around in awe – "a gift from the gods", she called it. While Alkestis stayed on the Waverider, the Legends would confront the boar. The oracle would not be completely alone, though – she would have Gideon watching over her and making sure nothing would happen to her.

"What's a Caledonian boar?" Ray asked Nate while they were suiting up. Nate shrugged.

"I don't know for sure," he responded. "I'm guessing a big, aggressive boar you do not want to mess with." The only story Nate remembered was one where many heroes hunted a boar, maybe this one. One of the gods had sent it to terrorize the land because the king was stupid enough to forget the offerings. If he remembered correctly, the only woman landed the first blow and over twenty Greek heroes eventually killed the boar in a great hunt.

It took twenty heroes; they did not even have ten on the Waverider alone. But on the other hand, the Legends had something that the Greek heroes of old did not have: technology and superpowers. They did not need twenty men – they were just enough.

At least, Nate hoped they would be enough. Otherwise, they'd be in serious trouble.

* * *

The Legends left for the Rouen woods at dusk and this time, they did not stray too far away from the Waverider. If they believed Alkestis, the boar could not be too far away from where the Waverider had landed. They had decided to ditch the time-appropriate clothes and traded them for their costumes – if they were going to hunt some giant boar, they were not going to take any chances and they were wearing their costumes. It may provide a bit more protection, which may even save them. Sara had also chosen to carry some more weapons, such as a BO staff and a dagger, among others. You never knew what could happen.

The forest was still very lively for the time of day. Still, it was growing quieter as time passed, as if the woods held their breath in anticipation of the fight that was about to go down. the Legends walked about the woods carefully – most of them, anyway. Mick did not care about staying quiet and in his anxiousness, Wally was making a lot of noise, too.

"So…" Zari said, dragging the o-sound. "When we've defeated the boar, what do we do with it?"

Silence fell in the group. Before today, any Fugitive was sent back home or sent to hell by Constantine. But now he was no longer a part of the team, they had to pick another method of disposing of the Fugitive. It seemed no Legend was willing to say it out loud.

"We kill it?" Nate said hesitantly. He shrugged. "We can't really send it to hell anymore."

"Then we'll kill it," Sara said confidently. It gave the Legends some hope – they could do it. It was only a boar. And so, they hoped their Fugitive would show its face soon, all for various reasons – to get it over with, to finally see its size, to finally set something afire.

The wind picked up without Zari's interference. If the boar was nearby, it may be able to smell the Legends. If it wasn't nearby, maybe the wind would carry their scent and alert it of their presence on his territory.

"Look out!"

The boar had jumped out of the bushes and stormed towards Zari. She extended her arms forward in a reflex. She called on the wind and pushed the boar away from her. The wind knocked the boar off-course and made it collide with a tree, which snapped upon impact. The collision disoriented it and left him immobilized, allowing the Legends to take a good look at it. they refrained from attacking it as long as it did not attack them either.

As Nate and Wally already suggested, the boar was huge. It had to be at least six feet tall and was more of a bear than a boar. Its fur was a dark shade of brown and its eyes were a dull red, which seemed to flare up as it watched his future victims.

Mick took the opportunity to burn it. Yet, the boar seemed to be fireproof – the fur did not catch fire and the heat only seemed to infuriate the monster, which was ready for attack and turned its attention to Mick.

Ray shot the creature with some energy blasts to distract it from Mick. But the fur was too thick for the energy blasts. Given the results, Nate started to think that maybe only sharp weapons were able to penetrate it. The Greeks managed to kill it once before; now the Legends had to do just as well.

The boar charged at Mick and Ray, of which the latter flew into the air to shoot energy blasts that only made the monster more furious. Mick glared at it, unmoving, not willing to be the one that yielded and moved out of the way. The boar had the exact same mindset and ran straight towards Mick and his continuous stream of fire.

Wally shot into action and stopped the boar by running tight circles around it. it tried to hit Wally, but the speedster was too fast and the boar too slow. Wally always moved inches out of the way whenever needed,

Something had to happen. Wally couldn't keep running around it for forever. Nate had turned to Steel and looked at the yellow whirlwind in close proximity. Nate took a deep breath. He was – hopefully – strong enough to hold the boar. The others could come and end its life and its tyranny. Yeah. That could work.

"Wally!" Nate yelled, "On which side is the snout?"

"It's still facing Mick," Wally answered. Nate came closer to the boar until he only was a few yards away, where the snout was supposed to be according to Wally. Now he hoped Wally hadn't given him some misinformation and that he did not end up at the boar's backside. That would be unfortunate.

Nate counted down in his head.  _One, two, …_

"Wally, go!" Nate yelled and he ran forward. Wally ran his last round around the monster and then left to give Nate the space that he needed. The two old friends were still well-coordinated: as soon as Wally had raced away, Nate was running straight towards the boar's snout and he managed to grab a hold its neck.

It was not easy to hold the almost-bear in one place, not even in Steel form. Nate stood firmly on the ground and did not give the boar any room. Still, it wriggled and writhed to gain its freedom and if Nate even gave him an inch of space, the boar would go free and would throw Nate off of him.

The Legends remained at a distance, so as to form a perimeter in case the boar would break free. However, Sara reacted immediately. She charged at the boar and pulled out a dagger. Coming closer, she aimed for the boar's neck and buried her weapon in there.

The boar reacted heavily on the attack. Nate had to do his very best to keep that monster in place so it wouldn't run off. Slowly the wriggling died down, but he dared not to loosen his grip until the boar's red eyes were closed and it stopped moving. Only then did Nate let go of the boar and the body dropped to the ground. Sara pulled her dagger out of its neck.

That was it. The boar was dead.

Besides the great feeling it gave them, it was only a hollow victory. The Legends were well aware this was the first fight in a set of challenges they would have to face before they even could become champions to face the Giantess. In the meantime, she was still out there, inching closer to her goal each passing day.


	6. Visions

Alkestis, the oracle of Dodona, was waiting for them on the bridge. As the Legends walked aboard again and she caught sight of her, she turned to them.

"Is it gone?" she asked. What the invisible woman had told and shown her was strange and the great amount of information had confused her. Better to as the Legends, who were with the boar.

"Yeah, it's gone," Sara said. "You're going home now."

A bright smile appeared on Alkestis' face. In she had not been such a calm and collected person, she would have run up to Sara and hugged her as well as the other Legends. Instead, she looked at the group.

"I cannot thank you enough for your bravery and kindness," she told them.

"You're very welcome," Ray said and he nodded once, a smile on his face, too. The oracle's happiness was contagious and soon everyone's spirits were lifted.

"But before I return, I must give you a gift." The reactions of the Legends varied from person to person, depending on what they understood by 'gift'.

"That's not necessary," Zari started on behalf of the group – except for Mick –, but Alkestis was persistent.

"It is necessary," she said. "The god Apollo bestowed the gift of prophecy upon me. I do not need to be in Dodona to do my job. While I was here, I knew you would be coming. I knew you were going to need some help along the way. Some knowledge from the future. If you want to, I can show you your near future."

"Can she do that?" Mick asked as if she wasn't even in the room.

"She's the oracle," Nate said. "I guess she can do it."

"I can do it," Alkestis said. "During the process, you'll all see your own future. I do not know whether the images will be the same for everyone. If they're not, it may help to share them, if you so wish."

The Legends did not need to discuss their decision. It was always helpful to see their future, to catch a glimpse of what's to come. Of course, if someone tried to stop their vision from happening, they may end up fulfilling this self-fulfilling prophecy, but that was a risk they were willing to take for the sake of precious information.

The oracle folded her hands together and closed her eyes. She looked serene, but concentrated. The Legends wondered whether they were supposed to do anything or to wait. They decided to wait for something to happen.

About twenty seconds later, their vision blurred. The future unfolded itself in front of the Legends, and they would later describe the feeling as if they were watching a movie through their own eyes.

_Sara stands on some coast, with a tree line on the other side of the rider. Behind her, she feels the war. Next to her stands Nora Darhk, Damien Darhk's daughter, and she extends her hands towards the assassin. Sara does not hesitate and grabs them, an unusually good feeling rushing through her._

_Mick is in the kitchen during noon. He moves from the fridge to the table and sits down. He places a beer on the table and immediately starts eating some leftover sandwich from yesterday._

_Ray walks around in a labyrinth. The walls are not solid, but something he can't quite place. There is something wrong with the walls. He is running now – something terrible chases him and the stars witness and bear judgment upon the fools who cannot easily escape._

_Nate stands atop a long, unwinding staircase and sees nothing but the stairs and the darkness. A torch in one hand, he descends into the dark. He does not turn back; he continues on with determination, deeper under the earth and closer to the heat and to the silver river that lay at the bottom of the staircase._

_Zari watches Nora Darhk standing in a river, water up to her knees, and struggling. Nora holds her arms toward something in the corner of Zari's eye – a monster. She knows what must be done. Zari pushes her hand forward and the wind pushes Nora and the monster into the river._

_Wally stands in front of a Giant of at most thirty feet tall. The Giant needs to be stopped, the Legends next to him seem to agree. He cannot do anything; he watches the Giant fall backward after something Wally did not see hits the Giant in the chest._

The visions made way for the real world again, and the Legends looked at one another. Everyone but Mick was either distressed or confused about what they had just witnessed. Alkestis also had her eyes open and watched them curiously, waiting for the heroes to share what they had seen in their own personal vision.

"I will eat a sandwich and drink beer," Mick said. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"I disagree," the Oracle said. "You never see an ordinary moment. Something pivotal will happen when you eat that sandwich and drink beer."

"Okay," Mick reacted. So basically, every day something important was going to happen to him. he walked out of the bridge, presumably to go to the kitchen to make his vision come true – most likely to get it over with.

"I don't know what I saw," Nate continued the conversation. "I stood atop a staircase in the dark. Does that ring a bell?" Nate had his suspicions, but they were not confirmed. The Legends had no idea what it meant and even though Alkestis' face paled, the reaction was not enough to make Nate worry about his fate too much.

"We're going to a labyrinth," Ray said. "Something's going to chase us." he did not mention the walls, because it did not seem important at the time.

"Sounds like fun," Zari reacted sarcastically. She could not deny it was great to know where they were going to end up eventually in their quest.

"We're going to have a big fight," Sara then said. "It'll be bad. And Nora Darhk will be there… on our side."

It seemed Sara did not want to initially share that last detail. Zari could not help but notice that Ray's face lit up when Sara said Nora's name."

"Nora?" he said and Sara nodded. Nate and Wally looked justifiably worried.

"I'm sure there's a good reason for it," Sara said. Whatever that reason was, Sara hoped it wasn't going to take a romantic turn. She wasn't going to let it go that far.

"There is," Wally said. All eyes turned to him. His vision had shaken him. "I saw a Giant. A guy Giant, not the Giantess. There's more than one."

There's more than one Giant to fight. It would justify having Nora by their side, but that still did not explain why she would help the Legends, why she wouldn't try to hurt them, how she would find them or vice versa and in which circumstances.

"What about you, Zari?" Nate asked. "What did you see?"

Zari shrugged. "Not much. It was all blurry. But there was some kind of monster in the corner of my eye. It was horrible." She neglected to mention that this monster, whatever it was, may be commanded by Nora Darhk from the river. Looking at Ray, she felt a pang of sympathy when his theory of Nora being a good person was confirmed by Sara.

There was no telling in which order the visions would come. There was a chance Nora first set the monster on them but then would help them out. There also was the chance she first decided to help out but would ultimately join the Giantess and set a monster on them to distract them from the Giantess. In the latter scenario, Zari did not want to see Ray's hopes be crushed like that. She told herself she would inform Sara about seeing Nora.

"I hope they were helpful," Alkestis said. "Unfortunately, I can offer you no more than this."

"Thank you," Sara said. "What you did is enough. Let's get you home."

* * *

A couple of hours after Alkestis had given the visions, she was brought home. Zari was headed to the gym, to distract herself from the vision that was burned into her mind. On her way, she passed the lab and looked inside. She may have expected to see Ray, possibly with Nate, but they were not there. Wally was inside and sat on a stool, reading a book. He was otherwise absentminded and was possibly trying to distract himself.

Zari stopped at the door and stared at Wally for a while, but the speedster did not notice the totem bearer. Maybe talking to him would take her mind off of the vision. Maybe sharing the vision with him would be a good idea as well.

"Hey," Zari said. Wally looked up from his book. "How are you doing?"

Wally shrugged. "I'm okay." But something in his voice did not sound sincere and he turned his attention back to the book he was reading. Zari entered the lab and approached him, sitting down next to him.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked him, pushing her vision to the back of her mind. Maybe he was struggling with his own vision, too. Maybe running did not work, so he came to the lab to find it empty, and so he may have decided to read something.

Wally closed his book and glanced at Zari.

"It's nothing, really," he said. "Nothing compared to this Giantess problem."

So it was not his vision. Somehow, that was surprising to learn.

"Then what is it?" Zari insisted. This was as good a distraction as any and if it helped Wally to talk about it, too, then this was a win-win situation. Wally barely hesitated, but whatever it was, it had to be serious.

"I don't…" He paused, thought about his answer for a while and then rephrased. "I loved the time I spent on this ship. I learned a lot. You were a good teacher." He briefly smiled at Zari, acknowledging his mentor. "I only left because I couldn't see myself doing this for a long time. And speedsters tend to screw up whenever time travel is involved. I came back to visit you for a couple of hours and wanted to return home."

Wally caught Zari's questioning look. He sounded like he did not want to be on the ship – that was only partly true. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining and I'm glad to be back. I just... I wish I had a choice instead of some god making that decision for me."

"Yeah," Zari said, not knowing how else to react. What else could she say? That Hermes tethered him to the ship by making him a champion, making him the only person (so far) who was able to kill the Giantess. He'd already waltzed into their world unannounced and threw it on its head.

"If I were in your situation, I'd probably feel the same." For now, her mind wandered to something she had wanted to avoid. She had seen her fair share of crazy stuff, but most of it she classified as the real world going crazy or the crazy things happening because Fugitives escaped Hell. But Hermes… he didn't "escape" the Underworld, he probably has never been imprisoned. He was no Fugitive – he existed and the information she found on the internet matched up with what Hermes had said. Hermes was real, his family probably too – that was something she could not easily wrap her head around.

"It hasn't happened to you yet," Wally responded. "You can still go as you please."

Zari frowned. What an odd thing to say. "Do you feel stuck?"

The speedster nodded half-heartedly.

"I'm sure he had a reason," she said. A speedster on the team was definitely a big asset and provided some manpower in metahuman powers the team had previously been lacking. On the other hand, that god should've at least considered Wally's personality while he made the decision. It seemed to her like a heat of the moment decision.

"You may not want to be stuck, but you could do better things than avoiding your job and…" She glanced at the book in front of Wally. "… reading Dickens. If you help out, we may be able to face the Giantess faster and you can go back to the life you want to lead."

Zari stood up from the chair and looked at the young man she had mentored, the young man she started to consider her little brother. "I heard Ray and Nate are reading through every source they have on the Giantess and Greek mythology. How much information do you retain while speed-reading?"

"Quite a lot," Wally responded.

Zari nodded once. "If you feel like helping out, I believe they're in the library."

She then turned around and walked towards the lab's exit. There was no use of staying around him to influence his decision. She was still going to the gym to hopefully resolve some frustrations and Wally had heard everything he needed to hear.

"Hey." Zari turned her head to Wally. A reassuring smile lay on his face. "Thanks, Zee."

She grinned. "You're welcome."

Zari left the lab. Behind her, Wally raced into the other direction, possibly towards the library. Now she had helped him, she finally could head to the gym, to clear her mind and hopefully get a better understanding of the way this world was supposed to work now Greek mythology was involved.

The gym was empty, just the way she liked it. She wouldn't mind if Sara came to let off steam, but for now, she cherished being alone and trying to process all the information by herself. She headed over to the punching bag, put on her boxing gloves and for at least fifteen minutes punched it hard. It did help.

Zari heard footsteps coming closer. It had to be Sara. The totem bearer took a break and drank from the water bottle and turned to the door. But it wasn't Sara.

By all means, she looked impressive. She wore a knee-length tunic and some leather hide that might protect her torso in battle. Her dark hair was braided backward and it was a sharp contrast to her pale skin. She stood proud, a bow in one hand and an empty quiver strapped on her back. Her arms were bare and her muscles were bigger than Sara's. The smile on her face felt oddly out of place.

"Hello, Zari," the woman said.

"Who are you?" Zari reacted and she lifted an arm, ready to strike the lady whenever she needed to. She was getting bad vibes from her. The woman did not break eye contact while she placed her bow on the ground.

"I am Artemis," she said. "I am Hermes' half-sister."

Zari stared at the woman while her mind went into overdrive. Just when she thought she wasn't going to have to meet another one of the old Greek gods soon, his half-sister appeared in front of her. Those thoughts she had previously tried to push back now came crashing back in, and it scared her. They shook her to the core and infected her so-far steadfast belief.

"You're…" She couldn't finish her sentence. She couldn't say it.

"A goddess," Artemis said, nodding once. "Yes, I'm a goddess. But don't worry. My existence does not invalidate your faith. You can put your hand down."

Zari quickly lowered her hand in defense against the goddess.

"I'm sorry about that," she quickly apologized. Artemis temporarily reassured her enough so that she could speak in full sentences again. Still, she couldn't believe it – a real-life 'goddess' stood in front of her! She had to exist alongside Allah, or maybe He had created them. Zari had no idea how she felt about it.

"Why are you here?" Zari asked when Artemis did not appear to continue the conversation.

"I came for you," she responded. Zari frowned. "I have been watching for a while, even before Hermes arrived. You are a good woman, a great fighter. It is not easy to kill the Boar, let alone immobilize it – but you did it masterfully."

"Thank you," Zari said, unsure how else to respond.

Artemis allowed her smile to grow a little, proud of the woman in front of her. "I hereby name you my champion. May your aim never fail you and may your faith never falter."

Zari shifted on her feet. Every position seemed uncomfortable. It seemed a weight had been placed on a shoulder, a weight she could not immediately or ever shake off. Was this what Wally had been feeling since Hermes had done the same to him? If so, she could understand him being bothered at not being given the option to reject the offer.

"Best of luck, Zari," Artemis said. "You will do great, like Helen."

"Of Troy?" Zari remembered the Spartan, one of Zari's first anachronisms and the first one who wasn't returned to her original time and place. Zari had figured out the timeline would still be intact with Helen on Themyscira, the island where the Amazons – warrior women – lived.

The goddess of the hunt nodded. "She has become a great warrior, thanks to your intervention. Even without my blessing, you will surpass her in skill. You will be great."

Zari thanked the goddess again. Nobody had ever given her so many compliments or boosted her confidence the way Artemis was doing now.

"We will not meet again after today," Artemis stated. "Good luck fighting Periboea."

"Wait," Zari said before Artemis could walk away or vanish or however she was planning to leave the time stream and return home. "I have a question if you don't mind."

"Go ahead."

Zari took a deep breath. "Why aren't you fighting with us?" She refrained from asking her about their current relationship to the Islamic faith or other religions currently in existence and focused solely on the fact that the Legends were thrown into the deep end and that, other than naming some Legends their champions, they were not going to be actively involved with fighting a Giantess who wanted to destroy the world.

"Many factors play a role," Artemis answered. "If I were to go over every factor, we would lose too much time. I would say the most important factor is our job. Apollo and I control the sun and moon, Poseidon overseas the oceans and Ares is fighting enough wars as it is. That is why you will be champions. Even though we cannot be there in person, we will be watching over you and aiding you whenever we can."

Zari nodded and accepted the answer, though it was convoluted. Why couldn't the god of the oceans climb out of the water to help them, and why couldn't the god of war help them with this little war between Legends and the Giantess? But she knew better than to argue with an all-powerful being.

"Good luck, Zari," Artemis said, finally ready to leave the Waverider and return to the palace atop Olympus mountain. The goddess smiled at Zari once more. "Keep the faith."

Artemis turned around and walked out of the gym. As she walked, she seemed to fade away until she was truly gone. Zari stared until there was nothing left to stare at.

The weight still pressed on her shoulders. Without giving the entire conversation a second thought – she might freak out if she tried to replay it in her mind – she picked up the boxing gloves again and continued to blow off steam. She punched the punching bag time and time again, her mind thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

* * *

After an hour (normal time) of intense studying, Wally left the library. Nate and Ray were going to stay a little longer, but Wally had seen enough Greek myths for today. He must have read every historical account ever written twice and knew quite a lot of the less common myths by heart. Maybe tomorrow he would continue, but for today, he did not want to read any more about the Argonauts, the creation of the world and the many,  _many_  lesser gods and goddesses.

Wally walked back at normal speed to his room. Once he was there, he dropped himself on the bed and wished he could have had the power to retain information after just reading something once. If only all of the information would matter; unless the goddess of youth was involved, Wally did not want to have to know who she was.

"Wally?"

That was not a Legend.

The speedster jumped up from the bed. Hermes leaned against a wall, his sorrowful eyes fixated on Wally.

"Hermes," he said. The god nodded once. Wally did not react – all he could do was stare. He became aware of the weight on his shoulders again, a feeling he thought he'd forgotten about.

He didn't want to deal with this.

"Please don't," Hermes said even before Wally could speed out of his room. "I just want to talk."

Wally sighed in frustration. "What do you want?"

"To apologize," he said. somehow. Wally frowned – if there was anything he could predict a god might say or do, apologizing probably would not make the list. It might not even be considered.

"I visited the oracle of Delphi before informing you. We got a clear view of what the future might look like." Hermes paused and Wally believed he recognized the distracted look in his eyes – whatever the Oracle showed him, it had to be horrible. "Zeus and Hera did not wait. They appointed their champions right away. Two powerhouses who stood a considerable chance. But the process was rushed. They failed. We lost them."

They had died. What a great message to give the only champion on the ship (unless some god appointed a champion while he studied).

"Until I came here, I wasn't even considering a champion. But so few Olympians will even give you a shot and I believe the Legends will need you to stop the Giantess."

Hermes gave Wally the space to speak if he so wished. But Wally remained silent so that Hermes could continue justifying why Wally would make a good champion.

"I'm sorry, kid," he continued. "I'd hate to condemn such a young, free spirit like yourself to one place. But as soon as she is dead, you and the other champions will be relieved of your statuses. We will release you of your duty when your work is done. You will be able to go home."

Wally glanced aside for one moment. When he wanted to tell Hermes something, the god had already vanished. Even though he did not say much to the god of travelers, he was relieved. Knowing the reasoning behind Hermes' choice did not particularly make him feel wanted, but it did give him peace of mind.

It also saddled him with responsibility. The last two champions died. Unless every one of his team became champions, too, it was probable that the Giantess may kill him, too.

But those were worries for later. For now, he was going to eat something and then have some good night's sleep. He needed to be well-rested for their next Fugitive.


	7. Drinks and poppies

During a cold November night in 2018, John Constantine sat in a dimly-lit bar. It was about two in the morning and apart from him and the bartender, there was nobody else around. John had been inside since he arrived back in 2018 at seven o'clock, and he had not quit drinking yet. He stopped counting his drinks after he had downed the tenth.

He must've been drunk or in thought enough not to notice someone walk into the bar. The man sat down two stools away from John and ordered two drinks. The bartender gave him the drinks and the man paid for them directly. Only when the man slid one of them to John, did the demonologist notice him.

"It looked like you could use a drink," the man said in a surprisingly melodic, soft, and soothing voice – the kind he hadn't expected at this hour.

John took the glass – he didn't say no to one more glass of alcohol – and looked at the stranger who bought him a drink. He had a pale complexion, with pale skin and pale blond nearly white hair. Even inside, he did not take off his sunglasses and there was a reassuring smile on his face. He may have looked at John with curiosity and John felt weirdly at ease around him. Must be the alcohol. The most striking of his features was a poppy pinned to the vest of his three-piece suit, on his heart. Other than his clearly British accent, the poppy was the biggest giveaway of his country of origin.

"I could use way more," John replied, taking a sip from the drink. He almost finished it in one go.

"Rough day?" The stranger, probably a British businessman, asked. John shook his head.

"Rough life."

"I feel you." The man knowingly nodded and only took a sip of his own drink. "Mine hasn't exactly been great either."

He glanced at Constantine and even though John was disinterested in this stranger's life story, the man did not give him much of a choice. It was late for everyone, and he had to get this off of his chest.

"I come from a big family with many siblings. Me and my twin brother, we're somewhere in the middle. We're both in the family business, but his position's seen as more prestigious. Somehow. He gets all the attention. He just demands everyone's attention when he does his job, but me? Everyone just takes me for granted, even my family. It's like I'm not even acknowledged!" The man took a gulp from his drink. "It's not fun growing up in your brother's shadow and staying there in adulthood."

John did not listen to the story. He nodded once and did not respond; instead, he was more interested in downing his own drink.

"What about you?" the pale businessman asked. "What makes your life so rough?"

John really hadn't wanted to answer. His problems were his own, not to be shared with anyone. Maybe it was the late hour, maybe it was the stranger, maybe it was his mind growing foggier again – that was a strong drink – but at that moment, he felt inclined to say something.

"I know these people," he said, "They always get into trouble. If I don't help them out, they'll drown in all the problems they've created."

"And you're going to help them out?" The stranger asked. John shook his head again.

"Nah. They can fix their own problems." He paused. "They were asking for something impossible." It still hurt to think about his struggle with the brujería and the price he paid to win that fight. sometimes, the memories just came flooding back into his mind, and it seemed they were best suppressed by alcohol.

The bartender had already left. He could not order a new drink. Instead of drinking away his problems, John tried to focus on a good memory. He did not have a lot of those. It didn't help that he was growing more tired and his mind was growing number. Maybe he should just leave and go to bed.

"Maybe you could help them," the man said. John turned his head to the stranger. "I think you only see two options: helping or not helping. But maybe there's a third option."

John frowned. Why the hell was this man trying to fix his problems? "There's no third option."

"Not that you can see right now," the stranger said. "But in the future, it'll all be clear. Trust me, John, you'll find a way to make it work."

Constantine froze. He never gave this man his name.

John stood up from his stool and staggered backward. The alcohol had taken its toll and John sank through his knees, almost hitting his head on a table. He lay on the ground and knew he wasn't going to easily get up, not in his state. John lifted his head to look at the stranger with the sunglasses, who had stood up from his stool as well and now towered over John.

"You spiced my drink," John accused him, glaring at the man.

"No, I didn't," he said. His voice had not changed – it was still calm and soothing. "I didn't have to." He knelt down next to John and removed the sunglasses.

For some reason, John was drawn to those eyes. They were dark and, along with the reassuring smile, had an almost hypnotic effect on him. Every second he looked into those eyes, he found himself growing more and more tired. He forcibly turned his head away from the stranger's face.

This stranger wasn't a normal person. It couldn't be a demon, because those rarely played with their victims like this. It couldn't be an angel either – he probably lost the privilege of communicating with one after he'd killed Manny. The stranger had to be something different to have this kind of effect on him. Possibly one of those stupid Greek gods the Legends had gotten involved with.

The stranger placed his right hand on John's shoulder. It sped up the process; John's exhaustion became ten times worse. Though he fought against it, John knew he wasn't going to stay awake for much longer, allowing the stranger to do with him as he pleased. And though he would not admit it, he was scared for what the future may hold for him. This may just be the god of death, trying to claim John for himself.

"It's alright." The stranger's reassuring smile became menacing. "You're not going to die. You'll just sleep for a little while."

_Oh._  So that was what's happening.

John closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	8. Corn maze

The Legends never could enjoy the peace and quiet for too long. Another Fugitive would cause trouble, another problem would arise. Only a day or two after they killed the Caledonian Boar, the time seismograph alerted them to a new problem to solve.

Sara was in her office when it went off. She pushed her previous thoughts out of her head and walked over to the console.

"Gideon, what are we dealing with?"

_"Seven people disappeared in a corn maze in Annville, Pennsylvania in 1964."_

Pictures of this particular corn maze appeared on the console screens, as well as an article with the headline: FARMER ARRESTED FOR CORN MAZE KILLINGS. It showed a picture of a white man in fifties, rather stereotypically leaning against his dung fork and a wide smile on his face.

Sara frowned. "A corn maze?" While she was used to strange locations and creatures, she had yet to know one who liked to reside in corn mazes in Pennsylvania. Perhaps it felt weird because out of all the different time periods and places, most of them have been interesting and 'exotic'. Pennsylvania was close to what Sara would call home in Ava's present, and the time was extremely close to the time their parents may have been born. It wasn't as exotic as the other locations, and the 'corn maze' did not sound very appealing.

Still, whether it sounded strange or appealing, a Fugitive was probably hiding in a corn maze and it had made seven victims already. It definitely is worth checking out.

 _"The seven who entered after five o'clock never made it to the exit,"_ Gideon continued.  _"As a result, only certified farmers could set up corn mazes. The farmer was taken into custody."_

That sounded like a reasonable measure after assuming the farmer had kidnapped and murdered the seven, though they never found their bodies intact – only bones and fragments of clothes. But this was not how history was supposed to go; they needed to investigate what happened out there and make it so that these seven would never die.

Sara spoke over the intercom. "Strap in, guys. We've got a new Fugitive."

It did not take long before the Legends were gathered, caught up to speed and then jumped through time.

* * *

_Annville (Pennsylvania), 1964_

It was a cold October day when the Legends touched down. The corn maze had not been opened for the public yet, but the farmer had done everything to lure people to his maze from the next day forward.

It was a nice little farm. The owner had placed benches on his property, so visitors could sit down and enjoy the limited view or their food, which they either brought from home or bought at a small parlor run by the farmer's wife. She sold many different things, such as sandwiches and ice-cream made from the milk of their own cows. The night was slowly falling and the purple, pink and blue sky made the scene all the more magical. The Legends may have looked at a picture or a movie scene.

It was possible the Fugitive hadn't arrived yet. It was also possible it was patiently waiting for someone to walk into his trap so it could feed.

The Legends walked into the maze – there was nobody around to tell them they couldn't enter just yet. As soon as they set foot on the soil and entered the maze, the world around them changed. There had previously been a pleasant Halloween atmosphere, but the sky was suddenly ten times darker than it was seconds ago. There had been a chill, but now cold air sank into their skin. It was as if they had stepped through a portal to some other location. One step outside the maze would lift the artificially dark atmosphere.

Ray, the last one who walked into the maze, turned his head upon noticing the changes. The entrance – their future exit – was still there. The vision from Alkestis replayed before his eyes – there's something wrong with those walls, and it's not easy to leave. Ray decided he was going to remember where their exit was, just in case they wouldn't be able to make it out for some reason.

"There's definitely something in here," Nate said. The Legends proceeded until they came across their first junction. Were they going to turn left or right?

"Nate, Mick and I will go right," Sara said. "Zari, Wally and Ray, you go left." Splitting up would have been bad if any one person was left alone, but now they were with three. They could cover more ground in less time and hopefully find their Fugitive faster. They could always communicate via the comms and alert each other when they found the Fugitive.

"Good luck," Nate called out to the other team, and they went their separate ways in the maze.

* * *

Nobody knew how much time they had already spent in the maze, but it had to be quite some time. The sky had darkened, adding to the ominous atmosphere all around them. Not even a starry night could dampen the mood. On more than one occasion, a Legend from either team felt something was waiting around the corner, waiting for them to run into it. Danger seemed to lurk everywhere, especially ahead and right behind them.

They may have felt its presence, but they did not find the monster. Whatever it was, wherever it was hiding, it was not here. Maybe it hid within the corn, outside the boundaries of the maze, far enough out of sight to blend in with the darkness. Or maybe it had not arrived yet and the maze was scarier than it had the right to be.

Zari, Ray, and Wally were not making progress and they slowly came to the realization they may not see the monster that evening. Even with the flashlights, they had a hard time spotting anything that may be out of the ordinary in this unfamiliar environment.

"We're not going to find it," Zari said eventually. Ray nodded in agreement.

"It looks like it," he said. They did not need to say another word to decide that finding the Fugitive at this hour would not be possible. Besides, if it had not arrived today, it could still come around tomorrow. Unless the other team had found something in the meantime.

"Guys," Wally said in the intercom to address the other team. "We haven't found the Fugitive yet. We're going back."

They did not need to wait too long for an answer.

"We're on our way," Sara responded. "We'll meet you there. We'll find it tomorrow."

That was the only confirmation they needed to return. Ray seemed most excited about leaving the maze. The situation and conditions had resembled the ones in his vision and he was dreading what they were going to find. The team remembered where they came from and if they did not, they made educated guesses. The group generally made the right choices and this way, they returned to the exit.

There was only one small problem: they did not end up at the exit. The trio tried many different routes in the direct area, but they never accidentally came upon the exit.

"How is this possible?" Ray scratched his head in confusion. There had to be an exit. He had practically memorized the first couple of turns to make sure they would at least find the exit once they had come close. if it were up to him, they should already be outside, waiting for the other team. Being locked inside the mazy was never an option.

Wally did a quick recon of the immediate and not-so-immediate surroundings, hoping he would find something they had not, and after half a minute, he returned to Zari and Ray.

"It's not around here," he said, shaking his head.

"But it's gotta be!" Ray said in frustration and shock. He glanced at Zari, hoping for her support.

"Then we made a wrong turn somewhere," Zari said. However, Ray refused to believe that.

"No, we did not," Ray said. "We definitely went in the right direction. This is the right place! The exit should be there, but it isn't!" He pointed at the dead end ahead. It seemed to end far away. Because it seemed so far, it could be mistaken for the exit, but each time they walked in there, a wall of corn blocked off their path and only confirmed once again they were in the wrong place.

It frustrated Ray to no end. Where the hell was it? Was it hiding? Was the Fugitive linked to the missing exit? Were they ever going to escape from this maze?

When the other group turned around the corner and Ray could see them, he viewed this as proof he had been right – the exit had to be around here somewhere! Now he only had to explain why they could not find it, or why the exit did not want to show itself.

"Did you come across anything on your way back?" Sara asked once she and her team were close enough to be understood.

"No," Zari said. "How 'bout you?"

"Nothing," Nate replied. "How often does that happen?"

It did not happen a lot that they went someplace and found nothing. It seemed today was different than the other times.

"Let's go back to the Waverider," Sara said and everyone agreed. On the time-ship, they could find a better time to come back, with a higher chance of encountering the Fugitive so they could remove it from this time period or kill it.

"There's one problem," Wally said.

"We can't find the exit," Zari added. "It's not around here."

Which, if you asked Ray, still did not make sense. They had easily found their way back here, so why shouldn't the exit be here? No, something weird's going on with the exit and he feared their Fugitive had something to do with it.

"It's gotta be around here somewhere," Ray muttered to himself. There had to be something they missed…

"Could you stop saying that?" Zari said, glaring at Ray for a second. He didn't notice this glare, for he was too much in thought.

"Then where is it?" Mick asked sarcastically and he rather unhelpfully looked around to prove some non-existing point. Ray decided that looking around may help in this case. Maybe he did not see something. Either way, there had to be a logical reason for the exit not being there.

Or maybe there was a mythological reason.

Ray turned to Nate. "Wasn't there some myth where a maze plays some big part?"

"They didn't call it a maze, but a labyrinth," Nate answered. As soon as the word 'labyrinth' was dropped, Wally knew what was going on. Horror appeared on Nate's face as he, too, realized what they were looking for.

"Our Fugitive is the Minotaur."

Now their adversary had a name and a reputation, the tension grew stronger. The Minotaur was a half bull, half man creature, born after the gods made Crete's queen fall in love with the sacrificial bull her husband, King Minos, failed to sacrifice. Minos locked him away in the labyrinth of Knossos, underneath the royal palace, condemned to a life of solitude. Food was supplied every year in the form of seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls sacrificed to Crete.

So, the Minotaur was a cannibalistic monster from hell that needed a labyrinth it couldn't escape from to keep it under lock and key.

And the Legends were trapped with him in a corn maze that had lost its exit.

"We should keep moving," Nate suggested. He glanced at his surroundings. "It has a strong sense of smell. It could track us in no time." The Legends listened to him and started to move away. But Ray was being stubborn.

"What about the exit?" Ray asked.

"We'll find it," Sara said, now starting to understand Zari's annoyance at Ray's determination that the exit should be in their vicinity. He should not worry too much about it, they'd find it eventually. Ray took a deep breath and followed the group, not inclined to stay behind when the monster they were trying to find could easily find him by the sense of smell alone.

So they ran, keeping an eye out for a Fugitive with a human body and the head of a bull. Nothing around them suggested the Minotaur would find them soon, but uncertainty definitely played into their fear. Any strange sound was classified as a sign of the Minotaur – the same could be said for strange sightings. Whether they were the result of the Fugitive or not, they did not know. They did not stop to find out; they kept moving, stayed close and Ray kept looking for exits where there were none.

In the near distance, about a couple of yards away from the Legends' position, there was a turn to the left. Around that position, the corn rustled – there was no wind and no Legend had touched it. It came from inside the path they were going to pass. The Legends halted and held their weapons at the ready. The Minotaur had not yet shown himself, and the anticipation also built some fear – what could they expect from the Fugitive?

The rustling grew louder, and many implications rushed through the Legends' heads. Was the monster too big for the maze so that it couldn't move around without hitting either side of the path? Was it leaning, injured from traveling to another world? Was it unknowingly announcing his position?

The rustling stopped when the Minotaur's latest victim stumbled into view and almost collapsed in front of the Legends.

The woman was covered in blood; her body was covered with gashes on her arms, her right leg, and one to her stomach. With her left hand, she clutched the gashes on her right arm to stop them from bleeding. She supported her body with her left leg, as the right leg was too weak. She must have hit her head; the left side of her forehead and a bit of her brown hair was covered in dried blood.

Despite all of this, she persisted. She was, somehow, still standing. There was no telling for how long she could continue like that, but it did not look like she was going to easily give up.

And then, she finally noticed the Legends. The group had not expected this to happen and stared at her in shock and confusion, taking note of her injuries and the state she was currently in. If she was going to make it out, they would have to help her, whether they liked it or not.

Nora Darhk sank through her knees and collapsed.


	9. Minotaur

Ray was the first to step forward to see if Nora Darhk was okay. He sat down on his knees and quickly examined her. none of the other Legends were inclined to help him out, but they did provide some light for Ray to work with.

"She's just unconscious," Ray announced. It was some relief to the Legends – at least Nora wasn't going to attack them this way.

"The Minotaur must've attacked her," Zari said.

Wally nodded. "Clearly."

"He's got her scent," Nate then stated. "Which means that—"

Their Fugitive roared, and it was scarily close to them. When Ray looked at the path that Nora had just run on, he caught the first glimpse of the Minotaur who came around the corner and stood at the other end of the path. The Minotaur stood at six feet tall and had a monstrous black bullhead, complete with horns. He held a bloodied ax in his human hands and had covered his body with animal hides he presumably skinned himself. Its dark eyes stood out and glared at Ray in an uncontrollable rage.

It was the most terrifying thing Ray had ever seen.

"Run," Nate breathed. As soon as it escaped his mouth, the Minotaur came for Ray.

The best strategy they could come up with was to flee and regroup – they weren't going to fight it without getting hurt like Nora. Nate shot forward in Steel form and lifted Nora from the ground – Ray was never going to be able to carry her and evade the Minotaur – before he and Ray ran behind the group.

Every so often, Mick would stop to set the Minotaur aflame and to quickly catch up with the rest of the team. Every so often, the corn would be set ablaze in the process. The flames were visible from any direction and it provided yet another incentive for the Legends to get the hell out of there and regroup. They just needed to find the exit.

The Legends ran and ran and even though their legs were burning from the exercise, they did not stop. Not now, not yet. Not with the Minotaur hot on their trail. He had been so close, it must've picked up on their collective scent already. Not even the smoke's stench would cover their tracks.

"Hold on," Wally said out of the blue. "Where are Mick and Sara?"

Wally – who had been running at the same speed as the other Legends – had looked behind him when he did not hear either Mick or Sara and came to the conclusion they were gone. Now Nate, Zari, and Ray also knew that two of their teammates were missing. Only then did they pause to take a look around. They had recently taken many different turns that followed each other quickly – Mick and Sara must have accidentally taken another turn. On top of that, Mick might have angered the Minotaur, so if it was furious enough, it was following Mick and Sara instead of the bigger group.

It gave them room to breathe. It also gave Ray another chance to vent his frustrations about the missing exit yet again.

"It doesn't make sense," he said, shaking his head. "We should have already found it."

"Well, we didn't," Zari said, "but we will eventually."

Wally nodded in agreement and Nate followed suit. Ray sighed – he did not doubt their ability to find the exit, but he did seriously doubt they had not found it on the first try. They were so prepared, counting turns to the left and right, and they should have been right there!

Something strange was going on in the maze, and it was not just the Minotaur's presence. It wanted its prey – the same prey who could not find their way out of the maze. How convenient. Whatever it was, Ray did not know. But it was strange.

Ray turned his head to Nate and the woman in his arms. He refused to take a break and place Nora on the ground, just in case the Minotaur unexpectedly showed up near them and needed to make a quick last-minute escape.

"How is she?" Ray asked. Nate glanced at her and looked at Ray.

"She'll manage for now," Nate said, "but she will need medical attention."

Ray nodded. "Okay." That was great.

The four enjoyed the quiet, the fire still in the distance and the Minotaur well out of sight and hearing. There was something serene about the environment and for just a second, they had the time to recover from the sprinting.

"I can't believe it," Wally broke the silence. "We're on the run from a Minotaur." His tone suggested childish disbelief as if it was some sort of dream. Ray could understand where he was coming from – this was his first truly magical Fugitive. Sure, he heard about the unicorn and the fairy godmother, but he had not yet experienced it. Ray recognized what Wally must be feeling – he had felt the exact same thing when he stood eye to eye with the unicorn at Woodstock before it started murdering hippies.

"And that in a corn maze," Nate added. Ray agreed with him. On the run from a Minotaur, in a corn maze, of all places!

 _A corn maze…_  as soon as the thought popped up in his head, Ray knew he was close. A corn maze, but they could not find the exit and there should be another way out. An obvious way out.

There was another way out he hadn't thought of before.

He definitely should have thought of this before.

"We should start moving," Zari said. Nate and Wally agreed with her; it was best to stay on the move.

"I know how we can leave," Ray said out loud. He stared at the corn in front of him. How had this even slipped his mind?

"You can tell us when we're going," Zari said. The group walked again, away from where they had just come from. The fire Mick had started was slowly coming their way as well, so it would be best to find that exit.

"I have a theory," Ray said. "What if the Minotaur is playing tricks on our minds?"

"It's a brute," Nate said. He did not believe a brute like the Minotaur would be capable of playing mind tricks – it was a cannibalistic hunter that was only driven to feed by a murderous rage.

"Didn't it die in the original myth?" Ray then asked.

"A hero killed it," Nate responded.

"How did he leave the labyrinth?"

"He…" Nate came to the conclusion he did not know how the hero managed to flee from the labyrinth. So he glanced at Wally, hoping the speedster had remembered this piece of information.

"The princess gave him a red wire that he could follow back to the exit," Wally said. "Maybe we should've done that."

"It wouldn't have worked," Ray said. "That labyrinth had solid walls."

"What are you trying to say?" Zari asked him. he was building up to making a point, so it now was time he was going to make that point.

"This is a corn maze," Ray said. He grabbed the hold of the nearest corn stalk and pulled and bent it onto their path. "This is corn."

Somehow, Ray impressed them with this simple theory. Ray did not blame them for not figuring it out – he was still beating himself up for not noticing this before, too. The group had stopped walking again and thought deeply about the theory Ray had presented, the implications it held and they could not believe they did not see this before. They did not need to find an exit – if they wanted to, they could walk away through the corn and leave.

"We're so stupid," Nate said, shaking his head.

"We're not," Ray said, "The Minotaur must've somehow manipulated us." How else could they have been so stupid, as Nate phrased it? "We can't find the exit, because he doesn't want us to find it. It only knows solid walls and could've reinforced that idea in our minds as well. It may be corn, but he's not wading through it." So they could leave whenever they wanted to.

The Minotaur roared in the not-so-far distance and it struck fear in the Legends' hearts. On top of that, the fire Mick had started was growing bigger and bigger every second, and soon the entire field may be covered in flames.

"We gotta get out of here," Wally said.

"We need to find the others first," Zari said. Mick and Sara had not yet shown up yet.

"Found them," Ray said, looking at the pathway they had come from. Sara and Mick were running towards them. Mick did stop once more, yelled "DIE!" and shot some more flames towards the Minotaur, who was probably right behind them.

"I found the exit," Ray said when Sara and Mick came.

"Great!" Sara said. "Where is it?"

"Through the corn." Mick and Sara both looked at him, confused. They weren't there when Ray had laid out his theory and with the Minotaur closing in on them – it roared furiously again – he really did not have the time or energy to completely explain it. "Come on."

Ray disappeared into the corn, breaking the 'wall' and the illusion the Minotaur had made them believe. The Legends followed him, Sara and Mick behind everyone else. Mick shot some flames towards the Minotaur one last time before following as well.

The Legends ran, pushing away the corn stalks and making enough distance between themselves and the rapidly spreading fire. Only when they had reached the end of the cornfield and stepped away from it, did they turn around to watch.

The fire stood out against the night sky. From above the crackling flames, they could hear one last monstrous roar. The Minotaur was stuck within the flames. Even if the authorities arrived and the firefighters doused the fires, it would be too late for their Fugitive. It was not going to make it out alive.

The Legends did not linger too long. They returned to the Waverider, happy that this was behind them now.

* * *

As they walked into the Waverider, Nate and Ray immediately took Nora to the med bay. Whether the other Legends would follow them was up to them; they at least did not want to go to the med bay with them.

It was such a relief to finally reach the med bay and to see Nora was placed into the chair. She was going to make it. She may not have been a good person under her father's tutelage, but she could be a good person now.

"How long will it take to fix her?" Ray asked, looking at the screens. He worriedly looked over the information, though he knew he had no reason to worry anymore. She was safe on the Waverider. She was in good hands – of course she was going to make it.

 _"At the very least two hours,"_  Gideon responded. Ray nodded.

"Thank you, Gideon," Ray said and he took one step backward away from Nora, under Nate's watchful eye. Ray could still not quite believe it – he saw Nora Darhk again. She had been in the maze alongside them. That was too big a coincidence to actually be a coincidence. Still, Ray did not suspect foul play. As far as he was concerned, Nora had gone there on her own account to stop the Minotaur and then she bumped into the Legends. This had to be fate.

While Ray was worrying about Nora, Nate was worried about Ray and his behavior around this woman. And Sara, who just came to the med bay, seemed to share Nate's worries.

"She's going to the brig when she's better," she said. Ray turned around and looked at the captain, a frown on his face.

"What? She's the victim here."

"She's also Nora Darhk," Nate said, siding with Sara, much to Ray's disappointment. "She and her father brought Mallus to life." And no matter what Ray would say, nothing was going to change that.

"She only did it because she was raised to do that," Ray defended Nora. "Since she escaped, she hasn't done anything evil." She had stayed out of trouble – that meant he had taken his advice, right? She was turning her life around, like he'd asked her to do. She was going to be a good person and though she made mistakes, she did not deserve to be locked away when she was making progress.

"That doesn't make her any less dangerous," Sara said. "I know you care about her, but we can't afford to take any risks, especially now. When she's feeling better, she's going to the brig." Sara glanced at Nora and then left.

"C'mon, Nate," Ray said, hoping for his support now Sara was gone, but Nate shrugged.

"Sorry, Ray," he said. "It's better this way." He, too, left the med bay. It was just Ray and Nora now.

He did not want to leave her side just yet, but he was starting to become hungry. He had been able to ignore his stomach for two hours, but this was something he could no longer ignore. He left the med bay, promising the unconscious woman he'd be back soon, that he was just getting a sandwich, and nobody would hurt her as long as he was on the Waverider.

Ray did exactly as he promised. But when Nora was getting better – she just needed to wake up – Mick occupied Ray and kept him away from the med bay and the brig. The other Legends had taken his biometrics out of the defense system temporarily, so he wouldn't be able to break her out or even come close to her again.

Ray returned to his room once he realized he would not be able to communicate with Nora. He went to bed, deeply disappointed but understanding their motivations. He fell fast asleep.

Nora remained quiet in her cell, wishing she was never sent to the corn maze in the first place. Anything was better than being trapped in a cell on the Waverider and with the Legends as her jailors.


	10. Tartarus

ohn Constantine woke up from the best sleep he's had in a very long time. So of course, something was terribly wrong. He forced himself to open his eyes to know what was going on. He sat up and felt the iron cuffs pressing against his wrists. Someone had shackled him to the ground, the iron chains long enough to allow him to stand. As he stood, he could not quite raise his arms, but being allowed to stand was already great. Then, John looked around.

His environment was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The ground he'd been lying had been cold to the touch. Uneven dark rock made up the floor, the high ceiling, the walls, giving John the feeling he had been brought to an underground cavern. Despite the rock being cold, it was rather warm inside and some light gave the rock some orangey red color. Yet there were no sources of that light and John did not cast a shadow. Neither did the only two other people in the room, standing only a few yards away: the pale man with the sunglasses and the older, shorter woman he was talking to.

Upon hearing the chains, the man turned his head to him.

"He's awake," he said. The woman now turned to John as well while the pale man approached him. There was a sickening smile on his face and his hands were in his pockets. "I hadn't introduced myself the other day. Hypnos, at your service."

"Splendid," John said sarcastically. He turned to the woman. "Didn't you ever teach your son to not assault men in bars?"

"I'm not his mother," the woman responded in a rough voice.

"She's actually my great-great-niece," Hypnos explained.

The woman also came closer. She wore a dark purple cloak and if she wore something underneath it, John could not see it. Her graying brown hair was largely covered by a veil. It seemed that, if she were to smile, her face might break into pieces. She did not smile often.

"My name is Hecate," the woman introduced herself.

With family relations and names like that, John accurately assumed these were two Greek deities. Though Hypnos seemed to be the eldest of the two, by virtue of being Hecate's great-great-uncle, John believed that Hecate may be in charge of whatever was going on.

He became annoyed with the situation – why was he always dragged into these crazy situations without ever being asked whether he'd actually like to help out?

John turned to Hecate and pulled at his chains without breaking eye contact. "Release me."

"You have no authority here," she stated. John continued to glare at her and Hypnos. He hoped to come over as intimidating.

"Don't play games with me," he said in a threatening tone. "I am the person who stopped the Rising Darkness. I single-handedly killed an angel. I went to hell and back. Now tell me where the bloody hell you've brought me and let. Me. Go."

Hypnos grinned widely when John was done, and the demonologist decided he liked Hecate better – less grins, less drama than Mr. Sandman.

"Funny you phrased it like that." It sounded like he was trying not to laugh out loud. "Don't you recognize it here? Of course, it's different than what you've seen, but there have to be enough similarities?"

Until now, he had not realized the sense of familiarity when he looked around. He did not remember much of his time in hell – only fragments and sentiments – but never the exact look of the location. The heat and light had no source, the rock was cold on the touch, and the general atmosphere contributed to the image. This wasn't where he'd spent his time, but it came close enough.

John's eyes widened in realization and shock.

"He's got it," Hecate said. "Clever boy."

John shook his head, still in denial. "Impossible."

"Very possible," Hypnos said. "There are many religions that have a concept of heaven and hell. But y'know, Hell, Tartarus, …" He shrugged. "It's just a different name for the same place."

Many thoughts crossed his mind, all of them relating to the predicament he was in. Most of them came down to 'every demon here could come in and kill me if they wanted', though some of them were focused on the aspect that he was in Hell. He was there. He only ever would be able to come here if he died. He had died.

But that could not be true. He glanced at Hypnos. If John wasn't mistaken, that man was the god of sleep. He had put John asleep for transportation – John wasn't dead, only a visitor who was still alive. Still, why didn't they go for the easy way and just kill him? What was so important that they needed him to be alive for? Whatever it was, he did not like where this was going.

"If you're not going to kill me, why am I here?" John asked.

"Because I want to make you an offer," Hecate said. She moved closer to Constantine until she was in his personal space. "I need to… harvest something. It's not an easy thing to do. It requires me to be helped by a mortal." Hecate's grin was crooked. "I have chosen you, John. You should be honored."

"Why me?" John asked, the frustration clearly audible in his voice and the anger clearly visible on his face. "There are more than eight billion people in the world. Pick someone else."

"But none of them are you." Hecate leaned in even closer, and John could feel her breath on his chest. "John Constantine. Exorcist, demonologist, master of the dark arts. And you said it yourself; you killed an angel and escaped from here. There is nobody like you, John. You'll do nicely."

John shook his head. "We'll see about that." He refused to take part in her scheme. He sat on his knees to give his arms more room to move around freely. John held the chains in his hands and recited a Latin incantation, while Hypnos and Hecate watched and did not interfere.

The spell backfired – the chains burned his wrists and the palms of his hands. He cried out in surprise and pain. When he looked at his hands, they were red and one of them had a painful blister on it. The cuffs were now more painful than before; he may have a blister on his left wrist, covered by the cuff.

Hypnos laughed. "Please, try that again." But John had learned the message: don't cast spells, because it will hurt you. They really did take their precautions. John's attention went to the chains, which definitely were not normal chains.

"Anti-magic cuffs," Hecate answered his question. "Every time you cast a spell, it will retaliate accordingly." So the worse the results would be, the more John would be hurt by the chains.

"I'll find a way out," John said. Just give him some time, and he would break free, with magic or not.

"How?" she asked. "I made those chains. You can't out-magic the goddess of magic. Where do you think you got all those spells from?" She spread her arms. "I know every trick in your book because I wrote it."

So John was stuck in literal Hell in anti-magic cuffs, with the god of sleep and the goddess of magic. He couldn't easily escape and John realized he was not going to return to the real world soon. It wasn't looking good for him.

"I guess this is the part where I despair and beg you to let me go," John said, and he spat at the ground before Hecate and Hypnos. "Do whatever you want, I'm not going to help you."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Hypnos said. The pale man came even closer to John until they stood next to one another. His presence alone was enough for John to feel tired. But he'd been standing next to Hecate and she wasn't affected. The gods were probably immune to each other's powers or took precautions that John could not take.

"What are you going to do, make sleep?" John asked him. "Joke's on you, I'll just wake up well-rested." Hypnos did not answer John's question. He did take this question as an invitation to talk about his family.

"Did you know I'm a father?" Hypnos said. "I have three wonderful sons, all of them in the family business. Morpheus, Phobetor, and Phantasos. Morpheus is… not present at the moment, so today you'll only meet Phobetor and Phantasos. I've asked them to give you a demonstration of what they are capable of." Hypnos crouched and smiled at Constantine in a sinister way. "Something tells me you've already met them."

They needed John for their plans. The first method of trying to make him comply was allowing Phobetor and Phantasos to do their work.

Hypnos placed a hand on John's head and all the energy left the mortal's body. John laid down and fell asleep. In his dreams, he met Phobetor and Phantasos, who were never personified like their father, but who resided within the dreams of their victims. Phantasos' specialty were surreal scenes that made drug-induced hallucinations look mild and manageable. Phobetor was crueler, for he tormented his victim. He conjured images from the worst experiences to create the ultimate nightmare. Combined, the powers of Phantasos and Phobetor could crush the spirits of even the bravest person, who would remember the nightmares long after waking up again.

John could not escape from these nightmares. His worst experiences came up and were blended together with his failures and his biggest fears. John was unaware he was dreaming, so the nightmares could have a maximum impact. But this was a nightmare you did not wake up from – John was only going to wake up when Hypnos wanted him to wake up, exposing John to the horrors of his own mind.


	11. Persephone

As Sara lay in bed that night, she missed Ava. They had barely gotten the time to talk and catch each other op on the current events. Due to general chaos at the Time Bureau, Gary had to take over after a while and Sara wasn't in the mood to continue the conversation with him. it was nice to have talked to Ava, but this hadn't been enough. hopefully, when both weren't so busy, they could take a week or four just for themselves. If the timeline allowed it.

Sara fantasized about all the thing she and Ava could do when they were off-duty. A walk around the park, going to see a movie, game night with the Legends (someone was going to lose a finger)… the possibilities were endless, like the darkness that washed over her when she finally fell asleep.

It wasn't a good dream, but it wasn't a nightmare either. The temple was a smaller Parthenon, with its marble pillars and floor. Anything beyond the temple was a miserable grey, and Sara could not see further than the pillars keeping the temple standing. On the other end stood two thrones, with a fire basket on its left and right.

A dark-skinned woman sat on the right-side throne, a proud look in her eyes. The red dress suited her and black curled hair rested upon her shoulders. She started at Sara Lance with interest, who decided at that moment that this woman on the throne was gorgeous.

"Welcome, miss Lance," the woman said in a low and smooth voice.

"Are you a goddess?" Sara asked. She was still wary about the current situation and not in a hurry to come closer to her.

"I am Persephone," the woman on the throne responded. "I am the Queen of the Underworld." Persephone rose from her throne, revealing her height. She would tower over Sara if they stood next to one another. "I needed to talk to you and this is the only way we can communicate without you dying."

"Very thoughtful," Sara said, though she did not quite understand why Persephone couldn't appear in front of her during the day. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and instead focused on the other question at hand: why did the Queen of the Underworld want to talk to her? There was only one reasonable answer to that question.

"Am I your champion?" Sara asked.

Persephone nodded affirmatively after a few moments of silence. "You are my champion," she said, "may your fierce determination be the key to defeating the Giantess and may your team work together better than before."

Sara was honored, but on the other hand, she still had no idea what to expect or what the job entailed. One detail that rushed through her mind was how this blessing was going to work and how the effects were going to manifest - if they ever would manifest. Then there was the fact that Persephone had called her to the Underworld in her dreams (or at least conjured up this image) to announce this news. She was the Queen, she must have better things to do than to appoint a champion. She could have easily sent a messenger, unless Sara needed to know something else.

"Did you want to say anything else?" Sara boldly asked.

"Yes, I did," Persephone said. "My husband has appointed someone outside of your team as his champion. You will need her to defeat the Giantess."

If Sara had wanted to ask who this champion was, no words came out of her mouth. Instead, her mind was pulled in every which way as different names popped into her head. Who could Persephone's husband – the King of the Underworld – have chosen? It could be any one of the women Sara knew. It could be Dinah, Ava, or Caitlin. He could have chosen someone from another earth; Earth-Two Laurel and Supergirl then could join them on the Waverider.

Then Sara was reminded of her vision and her mind leaned more closely towards what she would call an unlikely candidate. Nora would be too obvious, right? Would a god even pay attention to that woman? Would they believe she deserved the title for whatever reason?

"Her name is Nora Darhk," Persephone said. "If I am correct, she is already on your time ship."

Sara nodded, trying not to show her dissatisfaction with this turn of events. "She is." She was not looking forward to working together with Nora Darhk by necessity, especially after that vision where Sara accepted the offer to hold her hand. Which was strange in itself.

"You will be returned to your ship safely," Persephone said. "You will wake in your bed. Good luck."

* * *

Sara woke up in her bed, soaking in her own sweat and her breath rigid. She remembered the dream and meeting the goddess of the Underworld sitting on her throne. She remembered Persephone declaring her as her champion and the remainder of the conversation, but nothing else. Persephone's face and features were already fading from her mind and Sara could not at all recall the surroundings.

Maybe it was good she did not remember what the Underworld looked like. In fifty years, hopefully longer, she would find that out for herself.

Then there was the fact that, according to Persephone, they were going to need Nora Darhk if they wanted to defeat the Giantess.

Sara wasn't going to easily fall asleep while still sweating and reeling from what could have easily become a horrifying nightmare. So, she stood up from her bed, washed herself at the sink in her room, got dressed and left her room to visit Nora. Persephone had said Nora had been declared a champion – she should have met the god she was going to represent and explain some things to her. It was always possible Nora knew more about the situation than the Legends did. It would also allow Sara to verify whether Nora was truly selected as a champion or whether that was just part of the nightmare-aspect of her dream.

Sara silently made her way through the dark hallways – Gideon dimmed the lights whenever it was 'nighttime' on the Waverider. Still, there was enough light left for Sara to see where she was going. Within five minutes, Sara was where they were keeping Nora Darhk.

Gideon automatically turned on the lights when Sara walked in. Nora Darhk groaned and rolled her eyes once she had opened them.

"Did you have to visit me at this hour?" Nora asked grumpily. She wasn't going to sit up – she closed her eyes and hoped Sara would take the hint and leave her alone. She could come back in the morning.

But Sara folded her arms and stayed, a determined and curious look on her face. She had to know.

"Are you a champion?" Nora's eyes shot open, a shocked and deeply confused look on her face. She sat up and looked at Sara.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Are you a champion?" Sara repeated, not changing her stance. She saw this sudden shift in interest as positive, as a sign that Nora knew something.

Nora frowned. "How did you––" She shook her head as if to remind herself there was a good reason for Sara knowing this. For Sara, this only confirmed what she had suspected and that her mind hadn't just added that detail to the dream because of her vision.

"Hades approached me in my dreams," Nora eventually said after moments of silence. "He said he needed me. He said I was going to prevent the world from ending. He made me his champion and immediately sent me to the maze, telling me I'd meet my allies there." Nora shot a glare at Sara. "He never mentioned I'd have to work with you."

"We're not exactly thrilled either," Sara said. Most other Legends would feel the same, even if Ray was hopelessly biased towards Nora being good somehow. "I don't like how this is going, but we're stuck in this situation and we have to deal with it." Now she knew about the Greek gods being real, she knew that some decisions were made by a cruel guy or girl in the sky or under the ground that dictated her life. Still, she had to try not to alienate Nora to make sure she'd at least be willing to stay around on the Waverider.

"I could let you out tomorrow," Sara eventually said when Nora remained silent.

Nora raised an eyebrow. "Could?" She did not like the possibility that she had to spend more time in the cell.

"We're obviously going to need you whenever we're up against something Greek. I'm willing to let you out, but if you misbehave, I won't hesitate to lock you up here again." Sara took one step closer to Nora. "You're going to be watched by one of the Legends at all times. If you want to keep that freedom to walk around, you'll do everything we tell you to do."

"That doesn't sound like a fair arrangement," Nora said accusingly.

"I don't have to trust you and you don't have to trust us," Sara said in a softer tone, hopefully sounding not too antagonizing this time around. "But if you want to work with us and leave the cell, this is how we're gonna do it."

One minute passed and nothing else.

"Alright," Nora eventually said. She sighed and lowered her shoulders in relaxation. "I'm in."

That was good news. "I'll come back tomorrow," Sara said. Nora may not be fine with it, but she did not voice her criticism. Sara unfolded her arms and walked to the exit.

"Whose champion are you?" Nora asked. Sara stopped in her tracks. She turned her head. "If some god already wanted to claim you. I wouldn't be surprised."

"Persephone," Sara answered. How ironic that the champions of Hades and Persephone were going to have to work together to beat the Giantess, according to Sara's vision. But she pushed that thought out of her head; they were going to work together, but that did not need to lead to Nora joining the team in the long run. At least, Sara did not think that at the moment.

Sara left Nora in her cell. Without looking back, she returned to her own room to finally sleep some more and be well-rested for whatever tomorrow might bring.


	12. Alert

Sara called the Legends to the bridge the next morning. Mick was cranky for having to get up early for a team meeting, but the others didn't complain much. They figured she had a good reason to ask their presence. So, one hour before they would usually start getting up, they were in the captain's office.

Eventually, Mick also showed up, and then the meeting could start.

"Why do we have to do this before breakfast?" he asked, a sandwich in his hand. Not a second later, he took his third bite.

"I agree with him," Zari added. She was hungry. No doubt that the rest of the Legends were hungry, too, but they could manage a short team meeting without food. They could eat something afterward.

"The Queen of the Underworld named me her champion," Sara said. She could not even say anything else; the Legends reacted accordingly to the news.

"Congratulations," Nate said. Sara accepted it and looked at all the smiling and kind of confused faces. They still did not know exactly what being a champion meant, since it could encompass a lot of different things.

"She also told me that her husband has chosen Nora as his champion," Sara said. "And last night, Nora confirmed this."

The happy mood immediately shifted into a more serious mood. The Legends could not believe it and they weren't particularly happy to learn this. Well, there was one glaring exception.

"She's a champion?" Ray asked in disbelief and the smile on his face grew even wider. Much to the disappointment of his teammates, he loved this news. He believed that this new status somehow made her untouchable – and as one of three people currently endorsed by the gods with the power to kill the Giantess. She was going to be useful.

"Which means that we might need her," Sara cautiously continued. She had no idea how everyone, especially Ray, would react to the news she was about to bring. "So we may have to let her out of her cell and–"

"I'll keep an eye on her," Ray blurted out, raising his hand into the air. Everyone turned to him and stared with a worried look in their eyes. They knew him and his eagerness to take any excuse to be around her was quite worrisome. As a response, Ray lowered his hand and he wiped the excited grin off of his face, replacing it with a calmer look. "I mean… when we let her out, someone will need to keep an eye on her. I can do that." He nodded a couple of times.

Sara was still looking at Ray. "Okay," she said, "you can keep an eye on her."

"Great!" Mick exclaimed. Just like that, he decided the meeting had ended. Taking another bite from his sandwich, Mick left to find some beer to wash it down with. Wally quickly followed suit to fill his stomach so he could get by until the next meal. Sara told them there was nothing else she wanted to discuss, and so the others also left for the cafeteria.

"Don't worry," Zari said after she had approached Sara. Almost everyone else had left the bridge already. "When Nora's out of her cage, I'll keep an eye on them."

"Thank you," Sara said as she nodded in approval. It would be in everyone's best interests if someone – now Zari – would keep an eye on what Ray and Nora were doing. Sara did not dare to trust Nora Darhk, or Ray when he was around her.

Zari left the bridge; it was only her and Nate now. He walked up to Sara.

"Are you sure letting Ray be around her is a good idea?" he asked her. Ray with Nora… he could already imagine her taking advantage of the situation.

Sara nodded once in response. "It's Ray." She folded her arms. "And it's Nora. He's not going to let her leave his side unless she absolutely has to." It had not escaped their attention that Ray was infatuated with Nora – and now they could use that to their advantage. Yes, Nora could always try to do something, but on the other hand, Ray wasn't going to let her out of sight for one moment.

Nate nodded. "Yeah, good point."

The seismograph zoomed, alerting Sara and Nate that it had found another Fugitive, which may or may not be their next Greek monster. The last two they had fought had been of Greek origin – the boar and the minotaur – this third one could be another Greek creature. It would really be nice to not deal with a Greek Fugitive after this one. A little variation never hurt anyone.

"That's quick," Nate said. They had barely had any time to recover from the events in the corn maze last night and their alarm went off again. Seeing that nobody really had slept well, Sara figured none of the Legends were too happy how quickly these Fugitives were causing trouble.

Sara and Nate walked to the console and looked at the news reports Gideon had already collected based on the time and place where the Fugitive had shown up. Unlike other times, there seemed to be not a lot of records of this particular monster.

"Crap," Nate said, his eyes fixated on one of the pictures on the screen in front of him. The photographer captured the despair these people were feeling. Some people were badly burnt, on one side of the body from head to toe. Something had also feasted on some other people's intestines. Nate gagged and had to look away for a moment. Still, he could barely look away from the pictures. What the hell could have caused this? And more importantly, how did they kill this beast?

"You're not gonna like this," Sara said. One of the pictures was dated, and the photographer also helpfully added where he'd taken the picture. It captured a village, trying to heal the men who had survived. In the top left corner, it said Zambesi, 1952. It did not help that the village looked incredibly familiar to them.

"Amaya." He scanned the picture, hoping to find even a pixel which confirmed that she was still alive. She was not in the picture. The shock on his face turned into pure terror. What if that monster had already taken her? They'd have to travel back to a moment.

"She'll be fine," Sara responded. "If she'd been a victim, we'd have seen it already." The many other pictures of the creature's victims proved the photographer was interested in capturing the horror of these attacks, possibly to try to get some government to send help. If Amaya had been injured, she would have been in a picture, too.

Nate took solace in that idea. She wasn't dead or injured. She was probably on the front line with her men, to stop the monster. She wasn't significantly harmed, but there was no telling how long this would take – when Amaya and the Zambesians trying to protect their home would die as gruesomely as the others had.

He wasn't going to let that happen.

"She's in trouble," Nate said.

"Then we're going to help out," Sara said. Nate nodded. They did not have much of a choice – it was their job and they owed it to Amaya to help her out in her time of need.

They were going back to Zambesi.


	13. Deceit

Three days ago, Hypnos started to torture John Constantine. His sons did all the dirty work, but Hypnos took full credit. John could not sleep without experiencing his worst nightmares and Hypnos made sure he could not wake up from them. Every so often, he would whisper that it would end. All John had to do was to say 'yes' to Hecate's offer. He'd gain enough awareness that he was dreaming to resist. Immediately afterward, he was plunged into another nightmare and lost the awareness he'd gained. He was falling and falling and falling, but he never once thought to make a deal with the goddess of magic. He'd rather die than to make any kind of deal. Yet, in the Underworld, he needn't eat or drink and his body was left in some sort of stasis while Hypnos did with it as he pleased.

On the fourth day, John finally woke up (or, as he suspected, Hypnos allowed him to awaken). He did not wake up refreshed – instead, he woke up in a bad mood and the nightmare images on the forefront of his mind. As he woke up, he did not move and did not allow his mind to wander. He only thought of one thing: his frustrations with the Waverider's crew. It wasn't exactly positive, but it was enough to keep him from thinking of everything Hypnos' children had thrown at him. It was enough to keep his mind occupied.

"Wake up, Johnny boy!" Constantine sighed – Hypnos was in his cell again. "I've got a surprise for you." John only did the bare minimum to see what the surprise was. He pushed himself up with his hands and turned his head to the personification of sleep.

John had not had any expectations about the surprise. It could have been a monster. It could have been a decent meal to bribe him with. He wasn't far off with that last assumption.

He tried to keep up appearances when he saw the surprise, tried not to show any kind of reaction that the god of sleep might interpret, all the while wishing he could burn his chains and do something about the situation.

Hypnos was standing close to the exit and next to him sat a man on his knees, whose collar he held tightly to prevent the man from running. But he was not going to run; he may not even be able to walk. He was beaten and bloody – it could have been any poor soul that ended up in the Underworld, but John had recognized him immediately. Hypnos had dragged Chas Chandler to Hell.

"What do you think?" Hypnos asked, using a tone that was too casual for the situation. "Plucked right from the New York streets. You know this man, right?" He pointed at the man at his feet.

John recovered from the initial shock and surprise. Chas was in Hell. A prominent question in his mind, was 'is Chas dead?'. The last time John had seen him, Chas had had several of his lives left. Had they dragged him to Hell straight from the streets of New York, or did they kill him enough times to permanently keep him in Hell even though he did not belong down below.

From Chas' general demeanor, John believed that Chas was, in fact, not dead. Then why did Chas seem so scared? After everything that happened, he had been reckless a couple of times, even dying once to prove a point. He was familiar with death – though, John realized, Chas may not remember what happened. Chas may not know what Hell or Heaven looked like, and he was in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar gods. Still, John figured Chas would've been used to this kind of crazy not to be as scared as he now was. Then again, it seemed he'd been tortured and he may have started to fear the god of sleep.

"You've got the wrong guy," John said. "I've never seen that man in my life." It was worth a try; maybe Hypnos would let him go.

Hypnos shook his head. "I don't think so. You were quite shocked."

"John… please…" Chas' voice was hoarse.

John glanced at his friend. Chas was not only scared to do anything but desperate enough to beg. John felt Chas' stare and it compelled him to look at his friend. but he also wanted to watch Hypnos in an attempt to figure out whether that was Chas, how he could protect his friend and – if it wasn't him – to unmask the hidden truths behind the lies.

"At least he knows you," Hypnos said. "You did say 'pick someone else'. Well, I listened and I picked him." He tugged at Chas' collar to make him stand, to show him as some sort of prize. If Hypnos tried to enrage John this way, John did not want to show it.

"Chas Chandler," Hypnos proclaimed. "Taxi driver and best friend. Until you just left him alone. That was rude, John. But I thought it was time for a little reunion."

The god of sleep pushed his prisoner back on his knees. Chas was particularly obedient to the god's non-verbal command. He trembled and his breathing was quicker than usual. He wasn't just scared, he was terrified. Yet somehow, John couldn't shake the feeling something was not right here.

"Not very talkative today, I see," Hypnos asked. "Well, if neither of you wants to talk, I can still make you sing." He turned his head to John. "Unless you're willing to cooperate."

John glanced once more at Chas – I'm sorry, mate – and then glared at Hypnos.

"I'm never going to work for you."

"What a shame," Hypnos said. His demeanor changed instantly. "He'll have to sing." It was some kind of signal. It had to be. Chas screamed in agony after the god of sleep spoke. He pressed his hands against his head and shook it, as if trying to expel whatever was causing his intense pain.

John did not look away. He couldn't look away – there was nothing he could do for Chas at this moment and looking away from the scene would be admitting he knew the man well enough to not want to see him suffer. After half a minute or more, if it had been that long, Constantine decided he's had enough.

"You'll need to come up with something else," John said, shaking his head to once to seem indifferent. "It's not working."

"It's not working?" Hypnos repeated. "Then why do you ask me to stop?"

"John…" There was fear in Chas' voice. If Chas was going to survive, John would have to distract Hypnos to the best of his abilities, tied up in chains that prevent him from doing magic. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was worth a try.

"Why don't you send him back upstairs?" John said. "Take on someone your own size."

A grin appeared on Hypnos' face. "You're already breaking, John." He glanced at Chas, who stopped screaming. The attack on his mind, on his sanity, had ceased for now. "I could send him back, but I'm not going to fight someone my own size, because I don't fight family. This here is so much more fun." He looked at the man who still sat on his knees and then looked at John. An idea had formed in his mind. "What if I killed him and brought him from Heaven to Hell. Make him a more permanent resident. What do you think?"

"John, please," Chas said. He'd raised his voice and sounded alarmed. "I don't want to die."

That was the moment John knew for certain that the man sitting there was not the Chas Chandler he knew. Because John knew that Chas, because of his predicament, did not fear death. He had not died yet and not knowing how many lives there were left, he may have enough left. That was not Chas in front of him.

"Go ahead," John said. "Kill him."

Chas stared at John, an incredulous look on his face. Even Hypnos was taken aback by this remark.

"What?" Hypnos said. John shrugged in response.

"You can kill him if you want. That's not Chas."

The last time John had seen Chas was after he had defeated the Rising Darkness; after John returned from Hell. He remembered now, Chas had paid a high price for staying by John's side. He'd wanted to return home, and John – unbeknownst to him – placed a protection spell on him. Nothing would touch him without John's knowledge. If this had been Chas, John would have known someone had hurt him. But that was not Chas, and if he – whoever he was – hadn't expressed his fear of death, John would still believe that thing in front of him was one of his friends.

Hypnos was dumbfounded. The expression flashed across his face for just a second, easily detected even with his sunglasses on.

"It is, though," the god of sleep said, trying to deceive him one last time, but a knowing grin appeared on John's face.

"It's not," John said. "Chas Chandler would never beg for his life because he is not afraid of death." Especially because he'd died so often, it probably would be just another time it's happened. And if he lived to old age, he would probably greet death like an old friend.

Constantine's suspicions were confirmed when a woman walked into the cave. It was not Hecate. John guessed she was about Hypnos' age, having the same pale skin and short blonde hair. she also wore a suit, which was just a lighter shade of grey than Hypnos' suit. She wore no sunglasses – her eyes pale blue pierced right into John's soul. Despite her sharp and hostile appearance and despite knowing he shouldn't trust any Greek god, John felt inclined to believe what she had to say.

"We should've done this my way," she said in a sweet voice that did not match her appearance. Hypnos turned his head to her and scowled.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" John asked. She looked at him and smiled. Somehow, she had a lovely smile, even if her eyes glared daggers at him.

"Apate," she answered. "His sister."

"It must be a pain to grow up with such a big ego." John glanced at Hypnos. The small grin on Apate's face revealed she appreciated his comment.

"I can handle it," she said. "I've had to grow up with five such egos. His is the biggest, though." She did not sound bitter or jealous – she seemed proud to have grown up with among egotistical siblings.

She approached him and remained five feet away from him. Hypnos did not do the same. He left, taking the person who had to act like Chas with him. he gave his sister all the room she needed.

"I can't stay for long," she told him. "But don't worry, I'll be back. When I return, I'm going to find out what makes you tick. I will strike when you are weak or when you least expect it. I will play hard, but you can count on one thing: I will always be honest with you."

"Really?" John shook his head. "Why do I feel like you're lying?"

"Because you're in Hell," Apate responded without hesitation. "It tends to have that effect. Goodnight."

The goddess walked out of the room without saying another word. John was alone again.

Constantine lay on the ground and closed his eyes. The images from his sleep came flooding right back in without the distraction Hypnos and Apate provided. An image of Chas getting hurt was added to the mix and made it extra hard to focus on coming up with a plan to escape. So instead, he listed all the things he needed to do. He needed to break the chains, without magic. He needed to find his way. He needed to find the exit to the land of the living. He needed to do all of this without being noticed. It was going to be hard.

He found himself wishing the Legends knew he was in trouble. They would ruin the element of surprise and leave a mess in their wake, but at least they wouldn't give up until they brought him back.

With all that in mind, John tried to sleep. He hoped it would not bring back the nightmares.


	14. Zambesi

The Waverider arrived in the African country at noon. Gideon parked it outside of the village and this time, they did not bother to automatically cloak the ship upon arrival. Amaya would see the ship from her village; she would know that help has finally arrived and she could inform her people that this time, the Legends were truly here to help with the monster that ravaged the town and its people.

The Legends were wearing everyday clothes when they exited the Waverider, some of them bringing their costumes just in case, and walked towards the village, where a welcome committee was waiting for them. It seemed everyone in the village had come to see the Legends arrive, but the welcome may not be warm. The women and children stared at them in suspicion and some of the men were holding guns. Many of them were hurt, with arms in slings or supporting themselves on makeshift crutches and bandages around their limbs, chest, and head.

In front of all these people stood Amaya. She had grown eleven years older since they last saw her, about half a year ago. Her appearance had not drastically changed; some gray hairs popped up and some wrinkles appeared on her face. It did not make her any less attractive to Nate.

Amaya walked away from her people and approached the Legends. Right behind her followed one man – the others stayed behind to form some sort of border between the village and the strangers that could threaten it. Not even the man Amaya brought with her seemed to trust the Legends. Based on his and the people's reactions, they've had their hands full with threats from both the monster and possibly white people as well.

Sara was the first to greet Amaya, and the rest of the Legends all had the chance to personally greet Amaya, too – all except for Nora, who just stood there awkwardly. While everyone said hi, Nate watched the man. He hadn't spoken yet, but he patiently waited for Amaya to introduce him to her time traveling friends. Nate wondered what kind of relationship he had with Amaya to be allowed to come with her.

But the answer would come soon enough, and Nate looked at Amaya again. He still could barely believe it – he had missed her for six months, to such a high degree he could not stand being on the Waverider anymore, and now they were reunited again.

Then they finally stood in front of one another. He couldn't contain his happiness. Like his friends, he embraced her tightly and she amicably returned the hug.

"Amaya," he said when they pulled out of the hug. A grin appeared on his face. "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Nathaniel," Amaya said, her Zambesian accent returning in her voice. There was a bright smile on her face, which was so contagious Nate grinned even wider. Amaya then turned to the man behind her and asked him to come over. The man and Nate observed one another from head to toe, while the other Legends were waiting to finally meet the man Amaya brought with her.

"I want you to meet Thys," Amaya introduced him, "Thys, these are the Legends. My friends."

Thys nodded at the group in a friendly way, but he still stayed close to Amaya.

Then it clicked with Nate – this was the man who replaced him. He did not want to think of it like that, but that was how it felt. For him, it was just six months; for her, she had spent at least ten years in her home village. She has had more time to fall out of love with him and to find someone like Thys. She does need a husband – or at least a partner – to give birth to her daughter so that Mari and Kuasa could be born. History needed to continue, and Nate respected and accepted her decisions.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Nate said and he extended his hand to Thys. He did not hesitate, grabbing the hand firmly and shaking it.

"Likewise," he said. When they stopped shaking hands, Thys looked at the members of the Legends. His demeanor shifted and he leaned in closer, as if he was afraid to attract attention to himself from some sort of otherworldly creature.

"Are you here for the monster?" Thys whispered.

"We wouldn't be here if there wasn't a monster," Sara said, trying to reassure Thys. "We are more than happy to help our friends." She looked at Amaya, who was still smiling.

"What about Nora?" Amaya asked. She had noticed Nora but hadn't engaged in a conversation with her. Nora had been hiding at the back of the group, trying hard not to be noticed. She was well aware of what happened the last time she was in Zambesi, and of the trouble and destruction that Mallus will bring in 1992. None of the people would know, but Amaya would.

"Ray keeps an eye on her," Sara explained. "And Zari on him."

This put Amaya more on ease, and she nodded.

"You are welcome to stay for however long you'd like," Amaya said. Nate immediately turned his head to Sara in anticipation. Can we stay? Would the Greeks even allow them to stay in Zambesi for 'however long they'd like' after they took care of the creature that terrorized the village? He believed Sara was not going to take the offer, and by just looking at her, he knew he was right.

"Thanks for the offer, but we're here for the Fugitive," Sara said.

"That's a fitting name," Thys commented, not quite impressed with the term in itself.

"I came up with it." Zari raised her hand, a proud smile on her face.

"We're working on a schedule," Sara continued. "When does it usually attack?"

"It comes at night," Thys said. "It wounds many and kills those who cannot retreat."

The warm atmosphere made way for some awkward silence while the Legends grasped the gravity of the situation. Seeing the pictures and hearing the descriptions was one thing, but they now knew people had died. They had not prevented the deaths of some innocent people. The timeline would say it was nothing too dramatic, for some of these people would have been killed by illness in the original timeline. Nothing much and nothing major changed. But still, people died.

"Let's go inside," Amaya suggested. "We have a lot to discuss."

"Yes, we do," Nate said. "You won't believe what happened to us this week."

The group walked to the village. The Legends were welcomed with suspicious eyes and the hope that they would rid them of the monster that came every night. So far, this monster had killed three people already and wounded many more. Children were forbidden to fight, to keep them safe within the borders of the village with their eldest and most wounded. The men and women, both young and old, went out every night, with fear in their hearts but the courage to keep the monster out of the village, away from their children and parents. The Legends could only feel weirdly proud of these people and were in awe of their bravery.

The Legends also told Amaya about had happened to them while she was in Zambesi. Breaking Mallus free opened the world to Fugitives, also known magical creatures or entities. It coincided with the walls of the Underworld cracking and some Greek monsters getting out as well. The monster in Zambesi was most likely Greek, otherwise it wouldn't have popped up on their radar.

They did not mention the Giantess – not yet, at least. She had built up a life here. She had decided to leave, to keep the timeline intact, and they were going to respect that decision. Besides, Amaya was not a champion. It would not be right to involve her in this fight and drag her away from her home, from stability and peace, from her partner and the country.

Then Amaya and her people spoke about the Fugitive, which was shaping up to be a strange one. Not many were able to accurately describe it, so they discussed bits and pieces. Most of them spoke of a lion, others had also spotted a goat's head. Only a few threw in a snake as well. It had sharp claws with which it could easily tear through flesh, and apparently one of the heads (every Zambesian spoke of multiple heads) spewed fire. Nate, Ray, and Wally thought it must be a chimera or a manticore – yet they did not leave these people to go to the Waverider and check what exactly it was, what it could do, how strong it was and how to defeat it.

But the night was already falling; going back to the Waverider now might mean being alone when exiting again and possibly attracting attention from a dangerous beast. Legends and Zambesians ate their dinners side by side as they mentally prepared themselves for what would come at night.

* * *

It was dark outside. Only the torches and Ray's suit provided any light outside of the village. The Legends, Amaya, and a handful of men who found the courage to go face the monster for the fourth time were waiting with for said monster to arrive. The men, including Thys, carried knives and guns and they were uncomfortable with the Legends, these outsiders who wore strange costumes. They accepted the help only because they were helping them fight the creature, but mainly because Amaya trusted them.

The group spread across the borders, forming a half-circle barrier of people on the north side. From across the fields that separated the village and the woods, the men watched the forest in anticipation. They did not leave their village, they would not leave their family behind – the creature would have to come to them.

One hour passed. Two hours. Mick reached the peak of his patience and proclaimed loudly he wanted that monster to show up already so he could burn it. Other men were becoming impatient, too, but not because it hadn't shown up yet – because they knew what the monster was capable of.

Nate watched the tree line from their safe distance and sighed. His eyes had adjusted to the natural light the moon provided, but he still doubted. Would he be able to spot the monster? Had it already come to take a look at the force that awaited? Not knowing when it was coming was just as bad as knowing horrible this could end for so many people.

"So…" Nate began, "when is it going to show up?"

Thys stood next to him. His eyes were also on the tree line, and only on that tree line. He did not look away even as he answered.

"It will come soon."

"How soon?"

A monstrous roar echoed through the night. It sounded like a tiger, possibly a lion, or maybe something else entirely – Nate could not determine what it was based on its roar alone.

"Now," Thys said, holding his gun a little tighter. The creature burst through the tree line and finally revealed itself to the Legends for the first time.

The Legends had thought they'd seen it all. A gigantic boar – not too bad. The Minotaur – they could live with that. These two creatures as well as them being barely aware of the creatures that run wild in Greek mythology, it made the team believe the other creatures would not be too outlandish. Half-lion, half-goat. That was strange, but they had not believed it would be too strange. They each had created a picture in their heads of this creature, they had the front legs and head of a lion and the back legs and tail of a goat.

That picture was proven to be wrong.

Nate, Ray, and Wally were right – the creature that had been tormenting Amaya's village is a Chimera. It was a horrible hybrid, descended from the she-viper and mother of all monsters Echidna and the serpentine father of all monsters Typhon. The Chimera consists of a lioness' body and head, that is covered in brown manes. Her tail is a viper's upper body and head, biting whatever came to close. A goat's head had grown on the lioness' back, turning every way its neck allowed it, breathing fire at anything that came too close to the Chimera's main body.

"Is that a goat head?" Mick asked the team via the comms. His tone suggested he didn't quite believe it or that he wasn't sure whether he should be afraid of it.

"Yes, it is," Nate responded. He breathed heavily. How were they supposed to beat this monster?

The goat head bleated angrily. So far, that had been the only display of intimidation it had shown. Nate believed the Chimera may be holding back a little, now there were some strange white people included in the Zambesian forces.

Yet, that was not a big hindrance. She quickly pounced and ran straight towards them.


	15. Chimera

The Zambesian men took their firearms and shot at the Chimera. They formed one front, which held her back. The monster surprised the line with a trail of fire. The men on the left were blocked off by the fire while the men on the left were not able to come closer because the viper protecting that flank.

The men stopped shooting – they ran out of bullets already. Wally circled around the Chimera at a moderate speed, making it impossible for either the lioness or the viper to hit him. The goat head breathed fire and Wally ran straight into the flames, noticing it too late. He ran away from the Chimera and tripped. He stayed on the ground and groaned. He had not caught on fire, but he was probably badly burnt and he needed to recover.

The Zambesians scattered and formed small groups, preparing for close-quarter combat with the Chimera. Sara and Zari, along with three of the men, lead the attack on the creature. They only managed to keep her occupied and they did not land a solid blow. The goat head kept everyone at a safe distance from the main body. If someone did come close, the lion and viper heads were just as dangerous.

Zari tried to push the fire out of the way with the wind so that Sara could come closer – yet to stop the fire, Zari almost had to conjure up a storm. Sara did make it to the viper, who swiftly attacked a couple of times. The assassin could only defend her position at the back of the Chimera for as long as Zari could keep the goat head under control.

Nate, Ray, Nora, and Thys stood aside, out of the monster's reach, watching the others surround the Chimera. Yet this large group was not enough to kill it. Mick's fire did not hurt or even burn its fur; Wally was still recovering from his being thrown around; Amaya, having called on the spirit of the lion, could not connect with the Chimera and instead fought hard. The four had participated in the battle before, but now they watched one another with pained and desperate looks.

"How the hell did you keep this at a safe distance?" Nate asked, hands on his knees and bending over. This was not going as planned.

"We draw it away from the village," Thys responded, "We keep it at that distance and do not allow it to come closer. We usually hold our ground until we chase it away." He was tired of this fight, and yet he did think of giving up. Nate's respect for him and his fellow countrymen grew every passing minute and with every act of bravery.

"Hey, Nate?" Ray then asked, keeping his eyes mainly on Nora – who hadn't done anything so far – and the Chimera. "Do you know any way to take it down?"

"I know about the Manticore, not the Chimera." They were two very similar creatures; the Manticore was the Chimera's brother and its appearance was possibly even more gruesome, with the body of a lion, an enlarged tail of a scorpion and the androgynous head of a human. Nate wasn't the first who had mixed them up and he would not be the last. There had to be a way to kill it –some Greek hero had probably already done it, providing a playbook that Nate could not read. "I just know they are probably just as dangerous and equally hard to kill."

"Watch out!" The group of four turned their heads. The Chimera stormed away from the main group and towards them, all three heads glaring at them with a murderous look in their eyes. The four had barely time to prepare for battle – Nate transformed into Steel in a reflex and stepped protectively in front of Thys while Ray fired shots at the monster. It only made her angrier and made her want to attack them more.

A stream of constant fire hit her from her left side. Mick made a second attempt to burn the creature like he had the Minotaur – this time, he aimed for the goat head. Mick did not care about personal safety, only about sending this monster to the hellhole her Giantess friend had pulled her from (as Mick assumed).

The Chimera diverted her attention to the unwanted attacker. The four were no longer interesting and she ran towards Mick, who received help from Sara and Zari. Nate, Ray, Nora, and Thys let out a relieved breath – they may have not made it to the morning unharmed or at all.

"Where's John when you need him?" Nate asked out loud. If John Constantine were here, he would only have to cast a spell and the Chimera would be condemned to go back to Hell. They would not have had to fight as hard tonight, or risk the local population being hurt as they helped out.

"Well, he's not here," Ray responded. He glanced around the group and he let his eyes rest on Nora, an idea crossing his mind. "But Nora is."

Nora's eyes widened. "What?" She had no idea what he was getting at, but she knew she was not going to like it.

"She can stop him," Ray said confidently, looking at Thys. He immediately turned to Nora. "You can stop him, right?"

"I don't think I can," Nora told him. She was still horrified and now, doubt got a grip of her as well. Would she be able to do this without reverting back to her old ways?

Ray looked at her with the utmost respect and shrugged. "You can try if you want to." But if you don't want to, I won't push you. Nora appreciated the sentiment, but she knew she couldn't just stay with the Legends and, as a champion, do absolutely nothing. She would have to do something sooner or later, and it better be sooner rather than later.

"You should try something," Nate added.

"Haircut!" Nate and Ray turned their heads – Mick was glaring at them. "Less talking, more fighting!" And Mick ran off again, towards the Chimera, aiming his gun and countering the monster's flames.

The group of four charged as well. Nate turned into Steel and ran towards the Chimera's head while Ray rose to the sky to attack the creature from above. Nora stayed with Thys, who had taken his spear and hoped to keep the creature away from the village. Nate briefly wrestled with the lion's head, but the Chimera threw him away. She did not appreciate the air attacks either – Ray's blasts only enraged her further. The goat head spotted Ray in the air and managed to take him down with flames. Ray stood up with sore bones and joined Nora and Thys again.

"Can you get us any closer?" Ray asked. Thys shook his head in response.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," he said. It was near impossible to reach the body without getting hurt; Nate only succeeded in it by pure chance, and because Ray had occupied the Chimera's head.

"There's gotta be something that can stop it," Ray pondered out loud. How do you beat something that won't allow you to come close?

Let's think logically. Why can they barely reach the Chimera? Because of the goat head that regularly spewed fire and kept everyone at a distance. The Chimera was furthermore protected by its tail, the viper head. So, they had to take out the goat head. It could not be stunned by Ray's blasts and Mick could not burn it either. They were going to have to do this another way.

Then Ray noticed a pile of dirt that lay about two yards away. A crazy idea popped into his head. He could not think of anything else… he might as well try it out.

"You can let things float, right?" he asked Nora, who nodded.

"Yes, I can move some things around," she responded. "What are you thinking?"

"Something crazy that hopefully works." Hopefully. "Float some dirt to the goat's head."

"That is crazy," Nora agreed with him. and he had yet to tell her the craziest part.

"If you can," he said, "push it down his throat."

Nora's expression shifted, looking at him as if he was crazy. "What?"

"We have to try something!" Ray defended his plan. "If this works, it won't breathe fire anymore."

Nora glared at Ray but there was no animosity between them. They had no idea whether this crazy plan would work. If it failed, they would become targets. If it worked, there would be no more fire.

"This better work," Nora said and she focused her attention on the pile of dirt. / From the safe distance, she picked up enough dirt with her powers to block the goat head's throat, but left enough to try again, should she have to.

Everyone else was occupying the Chimera, and Nora waited for the perfect opportunity. The goat's head breathed fire in direction of the largest group, which was close to Nora. When the flames stopped, Nora stretched her arms and aimed for the head. The goat head turned and opened its mouth at the right time – lumps of dirt disappeared down its throat.

The Chimera as a whole was surprised. The goat head tried to cough up the dirt, but there was too much to remove. Some chunks obscured its airway, other chunks blocked its fire breath. Most of the dirt had disappeared in the Chimera's stomach – this affected the viper and the lioness as well. They acted as if they'd eaten something bad and tried to throw it up, but neither could help the goat head while it suffocated.

"The fire's out!" Amaya's voice carried over the field, and everyone heard this joyful message.

The Zambesians did not waste any time. They attacked the lion as one strong front with the Legends, fueled by this small victory. Neither the viper nor the lioness could keep up, but they still did not give up. While she was fireproof and energy blasts made her furious, she was not indestructible – she could still bleed, a fact the Zambesians used to their advantage. The Chimera roared one last time before she succumbed to his wounds, twenty minutes to half an hour after she lost her goat head.

The people of Zambesi celebrated their victory. Some ran back to share the good news immediately while others cut parts of its fur, so as to later commemorate this battle with something tangible. These pieces of fur were their trophies, and they left the remains for the vultures and insects.

The Legends were invited to stay in the village, which they accepted. They were more than willing to celebrate with the Zambesians. Mick quickly ran back to the ship to get himself some beer, and then the party truly started.

Thys was telling the children how they had defeated the Chimera, and the children were both terrified and in awe. Amaya sat at the campfire on her own, and Nate joined her there. For a moment, they sat in silence and just enjoyed each other.

"So… the Chimera," Nate said. "That was impossible."

"But we did it," Amaya said and she nodded to herself.

"Yes, we did." A smile crept up on his face. He still couldn't wrap his head around it – he fought a Chimera! He was going to remember that for the rest of his life.

And then guilt came crashing in. He was not supposed to tell Amaya about the Greek monsters so that history would stay on track. Yet, at this moment, he felt the need to tell her. She was still a Legend, after all, even if she was no longer an active member. She should know about the Giantess.

"There's something you need to know," Nate then said. Amaya turned her head to him.

"What is it?"

"There's a reason why we've been facing Greek monsters," he began, "The Greek gods came down from the sky and told us to fight them. They are probably controlled or sent places by a Giantess. She is very dangerous and escaped Tartarus. We think she either broke out those creatures or found them through time and uses them. In the meantime, she's planning the end of the world, which we have to stop as well." Nate paused. "I just hope she didn't know about you."

Amaya took a deep breath. "Wow." She nodded slowly, trying to register all the new information. "That's… something."

"I know," Nate said and he watched the stars. The gods were probably residing on a mountaintop in Greece, but he believed they were watching through the stars. At that moment, he realized they'd been lucky so far. The Minotaur burned in the maze, the boar was easily overcome. The Chimera was stronger than both and the road ahead may be even more difficult. The Legends needed to become better, or they may lose one of their own, just as the Zambesians had lost some of their own.

"The sooner this is over, the quicker we can return to the regular schedule," Nate said. Saving the world did become tedious after a while.

He yawned – it was late and one could only stay up for so long. "But first, sleep will do wonders."

* * *

After the Chimera, Amaya had thought things would settle again. She'd hoped peace would return and that her men would heal. This would happen and while it had been refreshing to see and hear the Legends again – they had agreed to stay in Zambesi for the night – in hindsight, she would rather not have learned about the context in which the Chimera appeared.

Tomorrow, they would be gone again. They would fight the good fight, while Amaya stayed behind. She would wait for disaster to strike, whether that be the destruction of her village in 1992 or something else showing up. Either way, unless the Legends contacted her, she would not know whether the world ended in early 2019. She would not know what they would fight. And yet, she wished them the best of luck with the Giantess and whatever would follow.

Amaya returned to her home. But she wasn't alone; someone else was waiting for her. The woman was darker-skinned than Amaya, beautiful even in old age. She welcomed Amaya with a warm smile on her face and dark curls rested on her shoulders. Her clothes were sober and styled the Zambesian way – she could have easily been an elder in Amaya's village if it weren't for the fact that she did not live there.

"Who are you?" Amaya held her totem, waiting for a good reason to use it against the woman who broke into her home. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not here to fight." The woman even spoke with a light Zambesian accent. This made Amaya trust the woman a little more. She lowered her hand, though she was still wary and she did not let the woman out of her sight.

"My name is Demeter," the woman said. "I am a Greek goddess. And I have a job for you, should you want it."

* * *

The Legends returned to the Waverider when the sun rose. Some of these heroes had wanted to stay a little longer, but they ultimately decided against it. They did not know how long the gods would allow them to stay in one place if they weren't hunting the Giantess and her monsters.

Nate was one of the last. He turned around to take one last look at Zambesi. Amaya was walking towards him; she wasn't going to make leaving her any easier than the first time. So he stayed in his position and allowed Amaya to approach him again.

"I guess this is goodbye again," Nate said. Amaya shook her head.

"It's not, Nathaniel," she said. Nate frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked. What was she alluding to, and could it be important to them? He was glad that she seemed to think they wouldn't have to say goodbye for a while, but until he had a better context, he would not know why she thought this.

"I'm coming with you," she said in a determined way. Nate was baffled and couldn't help but stare at her.

"You're…" He pointed at her, unable to finish his sentence. You're a champion? No, that would be too much of a coincidence. But Amaya nodded in response, recognizing that this was indeed the case.

"But Thys and the village—"

"—will not be destroyed while I am away." They stared at one another. For a moment, nothing but silence was between them, silence Nate needed to process this information. Amaya's a champion.

"Nathaniel, one of the Greek goddesses visited me," Amaya eventually said. "Her name is Demeter and I am her champion."

Okay. So an Olympian had chosen her.

"Demeter," he repeated slowly, trying to remember what this goddess stood for.

Amaya tilted her head. "Is that strange?"

"No, not at all!" Nate shook his head. "I just… she's the goddess of fertility and agriculture. And grain. She's not exactly the goddess of animals." If there were a specific god within the group of Olympians, Nate would believe that god or goddess would choose Amaya. But no Olympian is the patron god of all animals, though they often do have a patron animal, such as peacocks are to Hera or horses to Poseidon. The only god Nate thought could have chosen Amaya based on this aspect was Pan, an age-old god who was not an Olympian, nor did he come close. if he'd pick an Olympian for Amaya, he'd say Artemis based on her liking to wild animals and the wilderness, but she has already chosen Zari.

"I don't think that's important," Amaya said. "She came to me. I will represent her in this fight."

"And you're allowed to do that," Nate answered. Why was he finding it so hard to accept Amaya was going to be a part of the Waverider crew again? He'd love to have her at his side again, if only as colleagues, and still…

"Are you sure about this?" He then asked. "I mean, it'll be dangerous, with more monsters like the Chimera."

"When won't it be dangerous?" Amaya then asked him, and Nate could not find a proper answer. He would not be able to convince her to stay at home and protect her family and her village to the best of her abilities – she possibly thought she could still return to an hour after the Waverider would have left with her.

"Good point," he said. If Fate dictated Amaya was joining them on this crazy Greek journey, Nate wasn't going to tell her to stay in Zambesi. "Welcome back, then."

And Nate and Amaya walked aboard the Waverider together. Not a minute later, the Waverider disappeared and left for its next exotic location.


	16. Mr. Sandman

_Unknown (Greece), 2019_

In a Greek village, a young dark-haired woman sat alone in the darkness of the local bar. It was officially closed and its owner lay in his bed, dead. The locals suspected nothing; this was such a small town, nobody believed anything eventful, such as murder, would happen. So when Periboea picked this bar to hold her meeting, no-one knew she killed the owner.

The door hadn't opened, but two women joined the Giantess. One wore a purple cloak while the other wore a business suit, each of them intriguing in their own right. Periboea smiled – Hecate and Apate had answered her call.

"You're here," she said. The goddesses greeted her and the three sat down at the table in the center of the bar. Periboea glanced around the room, expecting someone else to arrive as well. Yet, nobody else came. She turned to Hecate and Apate.

"Where is Hypnos?"

"He isn't coming today," Apate answered. She was annoyed. "He said he had other things to do." Sometimes, her older brother had the craziest idea that she could not talk him out of. Instead of fighting it, she allowed it to happen and hoped his actions did not negatively impact their work. But that did not mean she had to like it.

Periboea was just as irritated as Apate. She had called for the goddesses and the god of sleep. Yet, she too was not going to do anything about it. This meeting was not going to take longer than ten minutes and she did not want to waste time looking for Hypnos.

The Giantess turned to the women. Business needed to be discussed.

"How are you progressing with Constantine? Is he prepared yet?"

"He is not easily convinced," Apate answered with carefully chosen with.

Hecate nodded in agreement. "He would rather die than work for us." She was blunter.

"Does he know what needs to be done?" Periboea asked. If he did and still refused to work together with them, there was a high chance he would find a way to escape Hell, to find the Legends and to tell them exactly what they needed to do to stop the apocalypse. Periboea did not want that to happen.

"We'll tell him only when he is willing to work with us," Hecate reassured the Giantess.

Periboea nodded. "I see." She turned her attention from the goddess of magic to Apate. "Have you tried your charms on him yet?"

"Not yet," Apate admitted. "I was curious to see how far we could get him if I deceived him some other way."

After all, it may not have been necessary for Apate to do what she does best, and since he had not broken, Apate now had a better sense of what needed to be done to convince John. They needed to pay attention to the details. The trick with the demon, courtesy of Hecate, was not going to work a second time, so they would have to resort to some other trick.

Periboea did not like the answer. She rose from her seat and stared at Apate. The personification did not feel intimidated by the Giantess in her current human-size.

"We cannot afford to lose time," Periboea said. "I have all of the other ingredients, I just need Clytius' blood. Each day Constantine says 'no' is another day we could've been victorious. There must be something he is willing to fight for. Find that weak spot and exploit it."

Hecate stood up. "We will."

She turned her head to Apate, who rose from her seat as well, and nodded in confirmation. She would do what is necessary.

"Good," Periboea said, "Now go."

Apate and Hecate left the bar and Periboea on her own. She did not stay long; she walked out through the front door. Masquerading as a young woman of regular size, she reveled in walking around in the village without anyone knowing her power and her ideas.

They would soon know. Periboea was convinced Apate and Hecate would find the weak spot and that he would bring her what she needed. Then she could bring destruction to life and wipe out all life on the planet. For now, she had to be patient and returned to the Acheron River.

* * *

_Waverider, time stream_

It was barely four in the afternoon when the Waverider's inhabitants fell asleep. Fighting the Chimer had been tiring, though they had the time to recover in Zambesi. By all means, they should not be falling asleep at this hour. Still, within minutes, they were sleeping.

Nobody was spared. Zari and Nora had been discussing Ray while Zari showed her where she would be staying. Nora had been grateful to be sleeping somewhere else than the cell, though she knew she'd have to do a lot more than stuffing some dirt in a goat head to earn their trust. The two women just arrived when they both fell asleep; Zari made it onto the bed before drifting away.

Mick was in the kitchen, and his head fell on the sandwich he'd made. Sara was in the captain's office, sitting on the comfortable chair with a glass of whiskey in her hand. The glass shattered on the floor and Sara dreamt sweet dreams. Ray was in the lab, in an attempt to create a device that could locate the Giantess – Wally was helping him out. Wally slept on the floor, while Ray fell asleep on where he sat, using a pile of paper as his pillow.

Amaya and Nate were in their respective rooms. Amaya was settling back into her old room, while Nate was lying on his bed and reading a book on Greek mythology. Both were taken by sleep as easily as the others had been.

A bomb could drop and none of them would wake up. Later, they may claim they had the best sleep ever that one night. By the end of next week, they'll have forgotten this wonderful night – that was the power of Hypnos. Hypnos would rather they did not forget the one time he made them sleep well, but human memory was frail.

The god of sleep sauntered through the hallways of the Waverider. He'd left his sunglasses at home today, for what use would they have when everyone was already asleep? He praised himself lucky to have put some free time aside for these kinds of special occasions, when he decided to leave his residence in the Underworld.

He's observed John's dreams. He dreamt about many horrible events, though there were some bright spots. Some of those bright spots included the Legends, who were on a quest to stop the end of the world and its instigator, the Giantess. As such, it may be useful to see what John's allies were like – they would be prepared for the Legends if they showed up.

He linked himself with these mortals through their dreams. They were a tool to understand each Legend's psyche and set of powers and qualities. He also dissected the visions from their future – this was a piece of information they ought to have, too. Some of them were special, while others barely stood out.

At the end of his visit, he came to Nate. His book had fallen from the bed and he looked peaceful. At first, Hypnos was barely impressed by the man who could turn to steel. Then, he saw Nate's vision; Hypnos recognized those stairs and the silver river Styx laying at the bottom. This information intrigued the god of sleep, and he smelled an opportunity.

He took the poppy that was attached to his suit and sniffed it once. Looking at his victim, he dropped the poppy. Its aroma would spread around the room soon; Nate did not stand a chance. A grin spread on Hypnos' face.

"Sweet dreams." Nate was unaware of the danger he was in. He was not going to be aware of anything at all anymore. When the Legends woke up, they would find Nate in his bed, no longer asleep. They may say it's a heart attack, but the true reason would be unknown: extreme peace, a heart beating so slow and lungs barely taking in oxygen anymore. This disjointed team will have lost one of its own and that may be enough to throw them off long enough for Periboea to gain that last ingredient she needed.

But now, for the finishing touch…

"Don't touch him." A female voice spoke from the other side of the room. Hypnos turned his head. As soon as the woman came into view, he sighed in exasperation. What was she doing here?

"Phil!" he exclaimed, feigning happiness. "How nice to see you again."

The woman did not take the bait. She stayed in her corner and Hypnos saw her clearly now. Phil had not changed much – she still wore a sober black dress and her short white hair was tucked behind her ears. Unlike him, she had allowed herself to appear older. The wrinkles on her face repulsed him, but he was most disgusted by her disappointed look.

"Couldn't you have come here some other time?"

"This seems to be the perfect time, little brother," Phil responded. She stepped out of her corner and approached him. "You don't have to follow the Giantess. It's not too late to leave her side."

"Who says I want to leave?" Hypnos said. He shook his head in disbelief – the audacity! "The way I see it, you're one of the few of us who's not on board with the Giantess."

"Thanatos isn't helping either," Phil gently reminded him. the mention of his twin brother struck a nerve.

Hypnos scoffed. "Of course he's not, he's always the neutral one. He couldn't pick a side even if he wanted to."

"And is that so bad?" He had spoken as if Thanatos had somehow wronged Hypnos. Yet, if memory served, Phil always remembered Thanatos speaking highly of his brother. Hypnos must have missed that.

"Not picking a side is being an enabler," Hypnos responded. "It's watching and not doing anything. That is not honorable." He stared directly at Phil – she, too, was enabling her siblings, who were actively trying to do something.

"And what you're doing is so honorable," Phil said and she glanced at the young man he'd wanted to kill. When she turned to him again, the disappointment had made place for worry and her tone was more gentle. "Hypnos. Why are you following the Giantess's orders?"

There was a brief silence, but Hypnos soon spoke.

"They take me for granted. At the end of the day, I come for their comfort. It has become so common, they no longer think about me. But when the time comes for someone to die, Thanatos swoops in and demands attention." The bitter look on his face made way for a euphoric smile, relating to what he has yet to say. "Once Periboea succeeds, the roles will be reversed. Death will be more common than Sleep, who will be welcomed with open arms if they have a couple of minutes to sleep in their free time. They will be grateful for me; I will demand the attention instead of him."

"So you take out your jealousy on humanity," Phil summarized Hypnos' thoughts. Moments of silence followed. And then.

"You were good once."

Hypnos did not like that phrase. "We are personifications of abstract concepts. We don't need to be good or evil. We're neither and both at the same time. We can do whatever the hell we want, because people will still sleep and die, regardless of our moral compass."

"You will not hurt him," Phil said calmly. His next act would determine how far he had gone and she could see it with her own eyes.

A grin appeared on his face. "Watch me."

He reached out to Nate's forehead and Phil did not stop him. When he made skin contact and attempted to force Nate into a deep sleep he would never wake from, his hand sizzled and burned. Hypnos instantaneously pulled his hand away and shouted once. The palm of his hand was red and burnt to the first degree. That was not supposed to happen.

"What the—"

"They are not as disjointed as you give them credit for," Phil explained. She folded her arms and watched Hypnos. "The individuals on this ship have gone through a lot together. They are not a team of strangers, but they are best friends. They love each other as a family would. This gives me enough authority to protect them from the likes of you. No-one with bad intent shall touch them until they face the Giantess while they are aboard this ship."

Hypnos slowly looked at Phil again. This time, he glared more furiously as her than he had ever done before.

"Traitor," he spat. Phil was not worried about his behavior. If anything, she was used to her family treating her like that and describing her using that specific word.

"I'd rather betray my family than watch the world be destroyed," she stated. They may be siblings, but she would not hesitate to take steps to take him out for the well-being of this wonderful world.

"Do they know?" Hypnos then asked. Phil did not answer and Hypnos drew his conclusions. "Of course they don't. You should take a page of my book; announce yourself. I'm sure they'd be glad to know you're on their side."

"Take a page out of mine," Phil responded, "Leave them alone."

Hypnos shook his head. "You're a bitch."

"And you an idiot."

Hypnos took a moment to glare at Phil one more time. Then, he walked out of the room and returned home to the Underworld.

Philotes turned to the sleeping young man and checked for a pulse. Despite the protections she placed, he may still be hurt somehow. It was a normal pulse, and nothing suggested that Hypnos did permanent damage. Nate was fine.

Philotes walked to the door, too, but she turned to Nate and watched him contemplatively. She only had limited knowledge about him and his fate – she had listened in while the Legends shared their visions. The Legends all had an Olympian that claimed them, all but one. She could fill that slot.

But it could wait. There was no hurry. Phil exited Nate's room and returned home as well.


	17. Discoveries

"Raymond Palmer."

Ray suddenly woke up from his sleep, a piece of paper still on his face. He blinked a couple of times – he had rested his head a little and he must have fallen asleep afterward. The pile of papers had served as his pillow, but they were now scattered on the ground. He would have to clean that up, but he first wondered why he fell asleep in the lab. He drank a lot of coffee, it shouldn't have been possible…

Then he saw the woman who'd woken him up. He assumed she was Sara, but he was wrong. From the way she stared at him and the way she stood, with her chin up and her back straightened, she oozed confidence and demanded Ray's respect. She was a tall woman and had to literally look down to see Ray. Her blonde hair was barely visible under the Greek helmet. Her legs were similarly obstructed from view by the gigantic circular shield that rested on the ground and reached up to her hips. It bore the image of an owl, and the woman rested her left hand on the top to keep it balanced. In her other hand, she held a spear even taller than her, which almost made a hole in the ceiling.

"Oh my god." Ray had spoken before he was aware of what just slipped out. He quickly plucked the piece of paper from his face. The goddess – there was no way she could be anything else – slightly tilted her head in amusement. Then Ray realized what exactly he had said in an impulse.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to equate you with the Christian god, and—"

"It is forgiven," the goddess said. Ray sighed in relief, a smile appearing on his face.

"Thank you," he said. he took his time to look at her. He may have been busy with researching ways to stop the Giantess and with defeating the Greek monsters they came across, but he still was not quite familiar with the different gods and goddesses of Olympus. This goddess had to be one, he was sure of it, but which one?

He was drawn to the image of the owl, the symbol of study and wise people. That was the main clue he needed to correctly guess her identity.

"You're Athena, aren't you?" He eventually said, hoping he was right. When she nodded in confirmation, he breathed in relief.

"Correct." She extended her right arm to him, the tip of the spear scraping over the floor. She looked ceremoniously at him. "Ray Palmer, I hereby name you my champion. May your mind never fail you and your quick wit save you in battle."

Ray nodded and beamed. He was a champion! That was great. He did not feel any different physically or mentally, but holding that distinct title and now speaking with Athena was great. Since she had not wasted any time, Ray believed she would be leaving soon, without allowing him to ask a question he wanted to be answered.

"Before you leave," he said, "I do have a question if you don't mind. If you're not too busy."

As it turned out, Athena did not mind. She nodded once, granting him permission.

"Go ahead," she said. Ray nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay." How was he going to phrase the question in a way that would not offend the goddess and/or any of her relatives? He hoped Athena would not be offended. "We fight in your name. We have accepted our roles. But some of us are wondering, whether you will be present yourselves? Are we on our own as champions, or can we expect you to be there when the fight with the Giantess begins?"

Athena took her time to think of an answer, and Ray waited patiently for the answer. Eventually, she settled with a not-so-diplomatic answer, but one that was close to the truth.

"The balance of religious or divine power is divided according to how many people worship the religion," Athena explained. "We were at our most powerful when the Greeks and Roman worshipped us and we had to give up our might when monotheistic religions rose to power. The little power we still have is not enough for most Olympians. Some of us are as humble as your current president is honest. They want to be powerful again before they will come down again. They may appoint champions, but that is as far as they will go in helping out with this problem.

"As for me, I wish I could be there, but I am needed elsewhere. My city needs protection. Know I will watch over you and nudge you in the right direction whenever I can."

Ray nodded. "I understand," he said, "and thank you so, so much. It has been a privilege to have talked to you."

"You are welcome," Athena said. "Now, you must wake up."

Ray frowned. "What?"

Before he fully realized what was going on, he was back on his stool and he jerked up his head from the pile of paper again. This time, he immediately removed the piece of paper that was on his face. Ray turned his head – Zari stood in the doorway, while Nora stood right behind her.

"Did you sleep here?" Zari asked him – Nora seemed to want to know the answer as well.

"I guess I did. I'm…" Ray stopped himself, remembering the events from his dream. "I-I think I'm a champion now."

"Congratulations," Nora said with the highest amount of sarcasm she could muster. The two ladies left the scientist in the lab. Ray jumped up from his stool, ignoring his research that was scattered on the ground.

"It's the truth!" he said and he followed the ladies to explain what exactly had happened.

This was going to be a long morning.

* * *

"Nate! Wake up!"

Nate groaned. No. He had barely processed that someone was yelling at him, but he did not want to wake up. Could they not leave him alone?

"Let him be."

Yes. Please. Let him sleep. Didn't he deserve a day off, a day to sleep? Or at the very least one morning to wake up in peace or stay in bed a little longer than usual? They'd fought a Chimera, he deserved this.

Today was different than the others. Nate could not seem to find the strength or will to leave the comforts of his bed. He could not help it – he was just that tired. It happened from time to time, but even in his state, he had to admit this was the most exhausting sleep-in morning in a long time. He did not really think about it anyway.

Only when he opened his eyes and saw the clock did he sit up. Six PM! He had thought it was eleven AM, or noon at the very latest. How did he oversleep this much? And more importantly, what the hell had made him so exhausted – what was still making him feel exhausted?

Nate accepted he should not be feeling so tired and pushed through the part of his mind that argued doing nothing and to go back to bed. He could not continue lying in bed.

Nate got up and put on some clean clothes. He may not be doing anything productive today, during the few hours of the day he still had, but he was going to look like he had not spent the entire day in bed. He was not as motivated as he usually was, and he hated that.

As he put on a sock, he dropped the other one. with a defeated sigh, he bent over to pick it up. While he was bent over, something bright red lying half-under his bed caught his eye. Something that should not be there.

Nate frowned and he crouched next to his bed, picking up the shapeless piece of red he'd seen. It was a poppy. As soon as he made skin contact with it, a new wave of exhaustion hit him again. It was strong enough for him to drop the flower; when he no longer made the skin contact, the exhaustion disappeared.

Immediately Nate jumped to conclusions; the poppy's presence probably was the reason for his exhaustion throughout the day. But how did it come here and how long was it there? He drew on his knowledge of Greek mythology – he had read up on several gods and goddesses so he could be prepared when they faced him or so he could at least recognize them. He also looked at a group that he called the children of Nyx, who were all personifications of abstract concepts, such as strife or old age. One of them, he remembered, was sleep. Hypnos. It would not be out of the question for this god to show up on the Waverider. But that begged the question, why did he come here? What side was he on, and did he have a hidden agenda?

Nate put on a glove. He picked the flower from his bed and placed it in a small box, closing it. The mystery of the poppy kept him busy for the remainder of the day. Nate snuck into other Legends' rooms to look for any similarly concealed poppies, but he found none. He was also suspicious of Nora, especially since her evil background just made her suspicious in general. He returned to his room and stared at the box that held the poppy.

An idea popped into his mind. He took a pen and used it to crush the poppy until it was nothing more than pulp and powder. He placed that powder and pulp into a small vial from the lab he had randomly lying in his room. Then he put the vial in his drawer – who knows, maybe he was going to need it at some point.

But then came the question: when would he use this flower, and did it still possess its abilities? If not, he had destroyed the thing that exhausted him. Either way, he would be on the look-out for poppies on the Waverider.

* * *

Sara sat in the captain's office and drank some whiskey. She just finished a conversation with Ava. She had given her girlfriend an update on recent events, and it apparently explained some strange activity that the Time Bureau could not label. Ava then gave Sara an update of the goings-on at the Time Bureau, but it was not as extensive as Sara's update. They discussed when Sara thought she could return to the twenty-first century, but Sara had to disappoint and told her she did not know. She did promise Ava she would be back as soon as possible.

Then the conversation ended. Sara fell back in her chair and sat there for a while, nothing and everything on her mind.

They had beaten three monsters already. Three monsters who had most likely been sent by Periboea and displaced in time, or who were accidentally looked over as the Legends tried to take care of anachronisms, or who were Fugitives with no affiliation to Periboea who liked to wreck the places they ended up in.

Three monsters. Was this just the beginning? How many more would follow? How many more were they going to have to fight before they finally found Periboea to kick her ass and be done with it?

Honestly, Sara did not like this arrangement. She wanted to go back home to Ava and take a break. But she was a Legend, the champion of Persephone – her current responsibilities did not allow her to leave the timeship, not even for a little break. It weighed on her, the fact that Greek gods revealed their existence and decided this group of highly qualified mortals would do fine in the fight against the Giantess, while the gods themselves spent their times watching them from above.

Time to speed up the process.

"Gideon, can you scan Greek history for any Fugitives or something that looks like it belongs to Greek mythology?"

_"Of course, Captain."_

There. The first step had been taken. It was just a small step, but it could give them somewhere to start if the results turned up positive. If nothing came up, she could have Gideon broaden the scanned terrain, but for now, Greece had to do.

Sara had no idea for how long she had been sitting in her comfortable chair, deep in thought, when Gideon told her she had found something. The AI placed a picture on the screen but did not say anything. Sara had already been facing the tv screen when Gideon presented the information; she only needed to stand up and approach the screen.

The man on the picture, if you could call him that, was an ugly monstrosity. His bushy beard was as long as his brown unkempt hair. He wore no shoes, making his scaly feet stand out even more. His only item of clothing was a piece of cloth bound around his hips, covering his butt and private parts. Furthermore, something seemed off about him; there was something that did not immediately seem right with him, but Sara could not put her finger on it. Other than that, he could have been a normal homeless man if Gideon had not identified as a Giant.

Periboea had not been the only one of her kind who escaped the Underworld; one of her uncles, named Clytius, managed to break free as well, in another part of Tartarus that held a bigger crack. According to Greek mythology, this Giant had joined the fight against the Olympians and was subsequently killed by Hecate and her torches. Gideon had pinpointed him to the Kassandra peninsula but had yet to figure out the best time to strike.

It was not Periboea. But Clytius was a Giant as well; he may know exactly what his niece wants to do. And if he had bad intentions, he could

"Thanks, Gideon." They had a lead now. It was better to investigate this than to do nothing as they waited for something to happen, for other mythological monsters to strike an important place in time.


	18. Promises made

The goddesses Hecate and Apate did not wake up John to torture him. They had not planned on allowing him to wake up until they had found a way to convince John to help them out with the Giantess' plan.

Eventually, the two had come to the same conclusion, agreed to the plan and decided to wake John up. Still, they needed Hypnos to do so, for their personal magic and powers were not stronger than the urge to sleep. It took them two hours to convince the god of sleep to come over and wake up John, though he was grumpy and wanted to let John sleep for much, much longer. He did not wish to tell them what had happened.

And John woke up, the two women standing close to him and Hypnos had already left, having 'better things to do' – besides, his sister and niece had this, they did not need his help. John's limbs were sore from not being able to exercise and sleeping so much. Still, he stood up – he no longer paid attention to his chains – and glared at Hecate and Apate. They had planned something, he was sure of it.

"So, what'll it be?" John asked them. "Who are you going to torture today?"

"We will not hurt you," Hecate responded with a blank expression on her face. There was little room for interpretation. But John equated these ladies with the demons he had encountered and fought in his life and he jumped to the worst conclusions; why wouldn't they torture him? It's in their blood.

"So you've found someone else," John responded. He tried to prepare to see someone he cared about – or a demon disguised as that someone – being tortured in front of him. Yet, Apate shook her head.

"No," she said. "We will not deceive you. We only came to ask for help."

"Yeah, of course you are," John said sarcastically. Only asking for help… He was not easily going to fall for that. that help probably included doing something foul and bad and evil, something even he could never agree with.

"Why do you always have to be so suspicious?" Apate asked. Her tone suggested the question was genuine; it sounded like she did not fake interest. She had folded her arms and looked at the warlock. "We just ask you to help. No lies, no hiding our plans."

"We are helping the Giantess," Hecate said.

John rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh. Of course. He could have guessed that beforehand – why else would they have kidnapped him and brought him to hell? They were definitely not doing some demons any favors, otherwise they would have shown up. This was a purely Greek problem and as far as he knew, the one person who would have him kidnapped was Periboea, who probably needed one mortal to help her out.

"We have been providing her with what she needs to create a new kind of Giant. The kind that is capable of destroying the world," Apate explained. "The Giantess only needs one final ingredient to bring it to life. What is a Giant or any living creature without blood?

The implications were gruesome enough for John to suspect that these ladies were not just a goddess and whatever the hell Apate was, but that they possessed the same thoughts as many demons had. John shook his head once.

"I'm not going to get your Giantess some blood," he said. "The Giantess has blood. Why doesn't she get some herself?"

"She had," Hecate said. "She needs blood from two Giants."

"Aren't you even going to do it for a trade?" Apate asked. A knowing an annoyed grin spread across John's face and he glared at them.

"I knew it," he said, "I knew you wouldn't be able to pass up a chance to attach a condition to this."

"You'll find that you will agree to this deal," Hecate said. A smug grin came to her face. How arrogant she was, how sure that he would be working with them instead of actively going against them. He would have to burst their bubble.

"I won't bite," he said, equally as certain about the things he would and wouldn't do. Apate tilted her head.

"So you don't want Astra to go home?"

Her words shook John to his core. Hearing that name triggered his memory and it brought him back to that horrible night in Newcastle. He did not care about how he appeared before Hecate and Apate anymore; a sour expression appeared on his face, one of shock and sorrow and fury, because how dare they bring up Astra. And through all this, only one word escaped his mouth.

"What?"

"That's the deal," Hecate said. "You help us and we will personally make sure Astra leaves Hell."

"She is dead and we can't change that," Apate added, not breaking the eye contact she had with John. "But we can move her from Tartarus to Elysium, to heaven. It will make her afterlife all the more pleasant. Don't you want to save her, John?"

Yes. That has always been his answer. No child should ever be confined to the depths of Hell and suffer, especially not because of someone else's fault. John would have rather he was dragged to hell instead, so Astra lived. He had once told Sara Lance, if Mallus had truly been able to bring her back, he would sacrifice her and her entire team without a second thought. Likewise, standing there, sacrificing the Legends' precious time to beat the Giantess was worth it; working together was not a stretch too far.

Then why did this feel so wrong? He had this gut feeling that there was something fishy about this deal, though he wanted to believe this with every fiber of his being. That pesky feeling was the only thing keeping him from resolutely stating what would have otherwise been a clear-cut answer.

"This offer won't last long," Hecate reminded him. "What'll it be?"

No more doubts. John made a decision to ignore this gut feeling. If it was right – well, he had often not listened to his gut feeling anyway, often with minor to catastrophic consequences that he could deal and live with. If it was wrong, Astra would at least leave Hell and go to a calmer place. She would not live, but going to heaven was the next best thing John could offer her.

"Where do I find this Giant?" John asked, defeat and determination in his eyes.

"Not in Hell," Apate said and John breathed out in exasperation. Shit. That would make finding a Giant a hell of a lot more difficult than he first anticipated. Apate continued: "We cannot take their blood while they are in Tartarus, and no living souls can enter. You will need to go back to the world of the living and find a Giant there."

"Alright," John and he pulled at his chains. "Let's get this over with."

He may be working with these evil women now, but that did not mean he had to like it. as much as he wanted to save Astra, he did not plan to work any longer than was absolutely necessary.

Hecate lifted her hands and pointed her palms to the chains. She pronounced an unfamiliar spell in Ancient Greek and the chains that had bound him disappeared in a purple mist. John rubbed his wrists for a little while he marched towards the exit. Yet, as he passed the two women, Hecate placed a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"One more thing," she said and John turned his head to the goddess of magic, wishing she would hurry up already so he could hurry up. "A Giant can only be defeated by the combined effort of a mortal and a god." Hecate moved to place her other hand on his other shoulder. "I hereby name you my champion. May your magic and determination be strong enough to kill a Giant."

John stared at Hecate with an indifferent, borderline bored look as she spoke.

"Are you done?" he asked flatly.

"So impatient," Apate said, shaking her head. Damn them, they were taking their sweet time. So long as they weren't going to hold his hand and guide him through every step, John would be a happy man.

"Apate will bring you back home," Hecate said. "She will give you a location, which you can use to track the Giant." The goddess handed her something that looked like a pocket watch. But it was no pocket watch; and if Gary Green hadn't shown John one beforehand, he would not have known what it was, either.

"Where'd you get this?" John asked, taking the time courier from Hecate's hands, seemingly admiring the advanced technology.

"Off the wrist of a dead Time Bureau agent," Hecate said bluntly. John took this answer at face value; Time Bureau agents, if they were some as incompetent as Gary comes across, could very well have died in the line of duty, leaving behind their time courier as they passed on to the next life in the Underworld.

"Good luck, John," Hecate said. "Do not come back empty-handed." John paid no attention to the threat in the last sentence and instead followed Apate out of the cage he had spent the last few days in. The way out of the Underworld was a long uphill climb, but he eventually stepped back into the sunlight and onto the soft Greek grass. Apate was nowhere to be seen; John was alone back, back on Earth again.

The hunt for the Giant began.


	19. Stalker

Mick walked back to his own room from the bathroom. This action in itself wasn't spectacular, but what happened to him on his way was extraordinary. As he walked, he noticed something from the corner of his eye; a shadow of a human figure. Yet whenever he turned his head, this shadow did not come into view. It stayed in the corner of his eye. Mick did not like this, for he believed it taunted him – come and catch me, you can't do it! Mick turned around a couple of times to find what was watching, but each time he grew more and more furious. After a while, Mick believed that shadow grinned in glee as Mick was unable to see it.

Then Mick snapped. He pulled out his heat gun – of course, he carried it everywhere, he did not like to leave it anywhere – and pulled the trigger. Flames hit the wall and Mick let them burn for a minimum of five seconds before letting go of the trigger and lowering his arm.

The wall was scorched and fumed a little. Nothing truly had caught fire, which was a relief for the AI that inhibited the ship.

"Mr. Rory!" Gideon spoke with an indignant tone. "Would you refrain from using that gun inside?" But Mick paid no attention to her; he looked around, but the shadow in the corner of his eye had disappeared. He could finally be at peace again.

That is, until Nate came running in the hallway, a confused look on his face. He noticed the burn marks on the wall – maybe something was damaged, but at least it did not burn anymore – and he turned his head to Mick's furious face.

"What the hell is going on?" Nate asked.

"I'm being stalked by a ghost."

"You, too?" Nate approached Mick and leaned in closer as if to tell him a secret nobody was supposed to here. Even though nobody was currently around to overhear it and Gideon would not tell anyone unless asked. "You know, I've been seeing this thing in the corner of my eyes. I can't quite seem to get a good look at it.

"Me, too," Mick responded. He took a step backward, away from Nate. the historian nodded, an interested look on his face.

"It's weird," he said and he placed a hand on his chin. He did not necessarily look at anything as he pondered upon the fact that they had seen something similar. "Maybe the gods are watching us. It would make sense, I mean, we are their champions. They'd want to keep an eye on us, see how well we're doing."

"Stalkers," Mick spat out. Nate sharply turned his head to Mick and almost gasped. Nate was not that dramatic, so he did not do it in the end. Still, his mouth fell open.

"Don't let them hear you," Nate whispered, glancing around nervously. "They are very sensitive." And if they really were keeping an eye on them, they would be able to hear everything their champions said. The gods are notoriously bad sports and are known not to take it well when someone insults them. Who knows, maybe one of them is sensitive to being called a stalker, even though they totally are.

"Does it look like I care?" Mick said with an indifferent tone of voice and a glare in his eyes. Nate decided not to answer that hypothetical question. Instead, Nate remembered something and asked Mick a question.

"Say, did you find a poppy in your room, by any chance?" He wasn't going to enter Mick's room without permission – he would very much like to stay on Mick's good side – and now he was already talking to Mick, it wouldn't be too hard to ask.

"What?" Mick reacted, a confused undertone in his voice.

"Y'know, a small red flower. Was there one in your room?"

"No." Mick turned and walked back to his room, leaving Nate behind.

"Okay," Nate said. "Thank you!" Mick already had turned the corner, so he possibly didn't hear it. Nate sighed deeply and watched the burn marks again. Maybe it was the first time Mick had spotted this spirit – if he had seen it before, Nate believed Mick would not have reacted so violently. Then again, it was Mick, and it was hard to figure out how he was going to react in certain situations.

Nate walked in the other direction, off to another bedroom, to continue his quest to find poppies. Next up was visiting Amaya and asking her about it.

#

Because Mick had decided to draw his gun to scare away a ghost, he had burned the wall. while nothing seemed to be too badly damaged on the outside, it was best not to leave this unattended for too long. So, Zari was sent to check it out. When she was done with replacing some wires and fixing other parts, she would have a conversation with Mick about damaging the ship's infrastructure and how he literally could have doomed them all if he had burned a different part of the wall, or some structures that were directly responsible for their survival in the time stream.

"Hey," a voice said next to her when she was almost finished. Zari had not seen anyone coming and almost jumped in terror and surprise. When she looked to her side, the resident speedster was standing there and he seemingly admired her work.

"Hey, Wally," she said. Another glance at him made her notice how relaxed he looked, how calm and at peace he was, a grin on his face. "You look happy."

Wally shrugged. "I figured I found my place in the group again. I'm no longer contemplating what I would have done if I decided not to have visited."

"That's good," Zari said, just finishing up reattaching a wire, not particularly looking up from her work. "It's best not to dwell on the bad things happening in life." Especially because thinking of what might have been could be bad if you were expected to focus on

"It wasn't bad per se," Wally responded. "Yes, I'm stuck, but when this is over, I can leave. And I no longer care how long that's going to take." There was a small pause. The wire Zari was working on sparked a little, but Zari quickly and efficiently finished the job and turned to Wally again.

His was still relaxed, though he also seemed worried. Somehow, that disturbed her. "How are you holding up?"

"Me?" Why was he asking about her?

"Yeah. I mean, er…" he paused. She almost could see his brain going 900 miles per hour, trying to find the right words to come out of his mouth. "…monsters and oracles and visions… and gods. Literal gods."

"Ah." Zari nodded once now she got what Wally was getting at. She could already guess how the conversation was going to go.

"How are you dealing with that?" Wally asked.

"I'm doing well," she said. However, Wally believed it was not an answer to his question. He was rather persistent.

"I know, but I meant…" He paused again. He tried his best to pick words that did not make him sound like an insensitive idiot and Zari could appreciate that.

"How you do… y'know, combine the Greek with the Arabic?"

"The Greek gods and everything that comes with it were created. They exist, though they're not nice creations." That was the only plausible explanation for their existence.

"But do you—"

"Wally," she said, interrupting him. She put down her work and turned to him. "I do not want to talk about it." She did not want to think about it too much, either. Trying to apply logic to creatures that stood above her would not make sense since they were not bound to human logic.

"Oh," he said, "Okay." He did not speak in a disappointed tone – he knew to leave well alone when people did not want to talk about something

"Hey, do you want to grab some lunch?" Wally then asked. "I'm starving."

Zari nodded. "Gladly." They walked to the kitchen together so they both could eat and refuel their tanks. Zari had just finished her work, so she wouldn't have to worry about any malfunctions while she was away. And the conversation with Mick could wait until her belly was sufficiently full.


	20. Perfect match

Mick took the first bite from his sandwich when someone came from behind him, took the bottle of beer Mick had taken for himself and started gulping it down. Mick jumped from his chair and came face to face with a man he had never seen before – a man who had definitely not been here before.

Mick glared at the man who stole his beer. Whatever he had expected from this thief, it was not a rather handsome young man with impressive brown hair that fell below his shoulders. He wore a wreath of ivy on his head in his left hand, the strange guy held a staff wrapped in ivy leaves with a pine cone on top. And all the while Mick glared, the man did not stop gulping down the beer – not even to catch his breath.

"Who are you?" Mick yelled and he wished he'd taken his heat gun to the kitchen with him.

The man only spoke when there was not a drop of beer left in the bottle.

"Dionysus. God of wine." His voice was surprisingly low for a guy who could pass as a teenager if he truly wanted to. The god placed the empty bottle on the table. "Beer's good, too."

Mick rolled his eyes and marched over to the fridge. He almost bumped into Dionysus' shoulder. The god spoke again in a monotonous voice while Mick grabbed himself a new beer from the fridge.

"I hereby name you my champion. May your…" the god paused, "fire burn brighter than before, may you never be deluded by hallucinations and paranoia."

"Whatever." Mick was not the least bit star-struck by this sudden apparition and his new status as a champion. So much has happened, he just needed a beer to properly digest the information.

Dionysus took that bottle of beer straight from Mick's hand and then vanished. At that point, Mick could not take it anymore – another beer stolen! – and screamed at the top of his lungs to let out his frustrations.

Nate ran into the kitchen, looking around with a bewildered and worried look in his eyes. As soon as he saw Mick was fuming, he came closes but proceeded with caution.

"What's going on?"

"A god stole my beer!" Mick exclaimed.

Any sane person would try to limit the number of beers Mick had, but given the Legends knew how angry Mick would be when they attempted to do this, they decided against it. besides, a placated Mick often cooperated better than the Mick who hadn't had a beer.

"Who was it?" Nate asked.

"Dio…" What was the name again? It was something strange. Diagonal? Diabetes? No, impossible. Then he had it.

"Diogenes."

"Dionysus?" Nate asked. Luckily, he understood which god Mick meant under these circumstances.

"That's the one."

"Makes sense," Nate said and he nodded. Since Mick was not under attack and Nate had already eaten, he left the kitchen again. No doubt Mick would finally take a bottle of beer to drink it himself. In the meantime, Nate sighed deeply. Though this course of action was foreseeable, he had hoped the literal god of alcohol would not endorse Mick.

While he made his way through the Waverider, something from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Nate stopped and tried to see what it was, but he couldn't quite make it out. It was a shadow, but whose? There was nobody else but him and with a constant stream of light, there were barely any shadows inside the time ship.

Nate turned his head. His suspicions were confirmed – there was nobody but him in the corridor and the shadow seemed to have permanently made its home in the corner of his eye.

Nate shook it off and walked away. Whoever – or whatever – was stalking him would make itself known one way or another, sooner or later. The question was; did they have good or bad intentions, and who was it?

* * *

After lunch, Ray escorted Nora back to her room. Zari would've done it, but she had heard that the damage Mick had done to the timeship was still causing minor inconveniences. In other words, Ray was the only one who wanted to take Nora back to the confinement of her room. After her help with the Chimera, she was allowed to have a bit more space, but the Legends were still calmer when Nora stayed in her room. True, she no longer was a prisoner, but she was still treated like one.

Nora did not appreciate that attitude, especially since Ray was so devoted to his job of looking after her that he barely seemed to remember she may like to have some personal space. He did keep his distance, but he often came this close to crossing that border.

"You don't have to follow me around, you know?" Nora said, a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Actually, I do have to," Ray said. Nora stopped and turned to him with a questioning look; God, she was beautiful. "They don't trust you."

"And you do?" Nora asked, folding her arms. The question could've been expected, but still, Ray had not seen it coming. What did he have to say about it? The others would think of him as naïve for trusting her. Then again, he wanted to convince Nora that she could trust him, when that time came and when she needed a person on the ship she could unconditionally trust.

"Well…" he said after a pause that lasted a little too long.

"Thought so," Nora interrupted him. She turned her back to him and walked to her room. Ray stood there for a moment before he recovered and followed her through the hallway.

"Wait, Nora." He ran those few yards she had put between herself and her lovesick puppy to close the distance. He refrained from gently taking her arm to stop her in her tracks; instead, he decided to walk beside her. There was enough space in the hallway for two people to walk beside one another. "I was wondering if… what were you doing before you were…"

"Forced to give up what I had to stay with you against my will?" she finished the sentence. She did not sound happy with the decision that had been made without her consent. Ray nodded, painfully aware of the situation.

"Kinda," he said. what else could he say? With that kind of answer, he'd understand if she didn't want to tell him what she had been up to after she had escaped the Time Prison with the time stone he had given her. But she surprised him and told him what he wanted to know.

"I had a good life," she said, a small smile appearing on her face. "It's not necessarily the best, but I had a life. I worked at a renaissance fair in 2018."

"Really?" Ray was surprised as well as excited for her. she had picked what could possibly be the perfect job for someone like her – someone who didn't have a high school diploma, who liked that dressing up and the lifestyle. Then again, that life probably looked a thousand times better than being stuck on the Waverider because a higher being said so.

"Hide close enough so they won't think to look for you there," Nora explained.

"That's smart." Ray nodded. After a couple more steps, he stopped her.

"I'm so sorry you got dragged into this."

"That's not your fault," Nora said. Ray frowned. he couldn't help but feel that technically, it was their fault. The reasons for certain events happening have their roots in the actions of the Legends.

"Those gods chose you to stop an evil that escaped Hell. It happened at the same time we broke Mallus free," Ray explained. Nora's eyes widened – she was shocked, but at least she now knew. He hoped that she would not start blaming the Legends because Periboea's escape had been far out of their control.

"I'd hoped they wouldn't consider you as a champion," Ray continued. He was unable to look her in the eyes. "At least you would have still had a kind of normal life."

Kind of. As normal as life working on a renaissance fair could be.

A smile briefly flashed across her face. "Thanks, but it doesn't do anything to change the situation."

"I know," he responded. He took a deep breath. "But if you ever… need any help or someone to talk to, someone who understands… you can come to me."

"You don't understand," she said. If there had been friendliness in her voice before, there was not a trace of it anymore. Her stare was colder, but not as unfriendly as her tone.

Ray shrugged. Of course he didn't. But he could make the effort, get her to open up and who knows… maybe she would believe he is trustworthy. Maybe it could become something more in the long run. But the first maybe was the more important one, and a lot less selfish.

"I can learn to understand," he said.

Nora nodded. Still, she wasn't sure whether she believed that was possible. "I'm going to my room now."

"Okay."

Nora turned her back to Ray and without saying another word, she walked back to her room at the end of this hallway. Ray did not accompany her for this short distance and only moved again when the doors of Nora's room slid closed.

Great job, Ray. Now you've ruined it.

Ray returned to the lab; maybe he could still do something useful over there. And if not, it was never too late to brush up on the more obscure myths and mythological creatures.

* * *

The time seismograph registered another anomaly in the timeline. Sara noticed it and alerted the other Legends, urging them to come to the bridge. Not everyone arrived simultaneously; for instance, Mick was late as per usual, strolling in with an indifferent look on his face. at least he could go outside and burn something for real with lasting consequences and effects on nature. At least he could see whether his champion title truly had any effect on someone's performance in battle.

"Where are we going now?" Mick asked his teammates.

"Crete, 617," Sara answered, leaning with one hand against the console. Crete belonged geographically to Greece and it was the biggest island of the Greek archipelago. It was also the original home of Knossos and the Minotaur. How fitting they should go there.

"Some people have been found with deep gashes in their bodies, which could have been made by large birds," Ray explained. Like Sara, he stood at the console and must have read some reports displayed on the console.

"Another Greek monster," Mick said. After the boar and the Minotaur, he had started to have enough of the situation. Then the Chimera came, and now they had to find yet another Greek monster! Of course, if they had proof the Giantess was telling these monsters to attack, it would at least feel useful, but they did not have that yet.

"Possibly," Amaya said and she turned her gaze to Nate. Reading up on the mythology had been a good move on his part; so he could not both show off his newfound knowledge and possibly lead the Legends in the right direction when it came to the creatures they would fight.

"It could be a Fury," Nate said. "But they don't usually work alone." Which meant they had to be extra careful when they landed. They no longer would have strength in numbers, since they had no idea how many of them would be there.

"Strap in," Sara told the Legends. "We're going to Crete."


	21. Harpies

Crete is a beautiful island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The sun shone brightly on the blue waves that collided with the golden beaches. The trees waved gently in the wind and the Legends could not help but feel like they had entered this picture-perfect landscape that could rival Aruba's, where they could spend some time vacationing.

Unfortunately, they did not come to go to the beach and get a tan. They had come for the next Greek mythological monster that was terrorizing the peaceful town of Matala. This town was located in the center south of the island and overlooked the Bay of Mesara, a rather nice tourist destination.

In 671, however, the town may not have been such a big amount of tourism. The people were left alone to enjoy the natural beauty of their environment. Matala itself was a small village, after all, and easily sustained itself from fishing and trading with many merchants from all over the island and from across the seas. The land was rocky and not perfect for farming, though they tried. With the coming of a Fugitive, the town would have been decimated if it weren't for the Legends stepping in.

The beach was beautiful and deserted, and there were no tall buildings anywhere. Matala was bustling – the Legends had arrived before the Fugitives had. It could be plural today, as Nate suspected they would be up against the Furies.

The Legends were dressed for battle and avoided this town altogether. Instead of staying at the beach, they walked away from the ocean, towards the rolling hills of Crete. If the Furies were coming from anywhere, Nate reasoned, they weren't going to come from the seas.

And so, they walked to the hills and waited.

"Where are they?" Mick asked rather impatiently.

"They'll be here," Nate said, hoping to soothe Mick's passion for arson a little longer. The last thing they wanted to do was to accidentally burn the sparse and dry vegetation of Crete to the ground. Even with a clear sky, they could not see it.

"I'll go look for them," Wally suggested. Before he sped off, however, he looked at his captain as if to ask for permission. Sara nodded and Wally ran away. Not even three seconds later, he was back, creating a giant dust cloud.

"They're coming our way," Wally confirmed. The wait was coming to an end.

Their screeching could be heard even from this far. The Legends turned their heads to the left, to the horrific sounds. Three little dots in the air slowly grew bigger. Their Fugitives had found them. Nate's face widened in realization when they were close enough to recognize distinct features.

"I was wrong," he said in a shocked manner. "They're not Furies."

"Then what are they?" Mick asked, aiming his gun at the Fugitives in anticipation of their arrival.

"Harpies," Nate responded, a frown on his face. "They are vicious, cruel, and violent."

"Why can't we just come across Pegasus or something?" Ray asked in desperation. Where are all the good Greek Fugitives? Why didn't they ever find those? Though, thinking back to the murderous unicorn, the Pegasus may as well be just as bloodthirsty as its horned counterpart.

"How do we know he's not evil, too?" Nate wondered out loud in response to Ray's question. This prompted some of the Legends, such as Zari, Mick, and Nora, to give him weird looks.

"He?" Zari asked.

"What?" Nate replied, turning his head to her. "Pegasus  _is_  a boy."

"Guys…" Sara said, her eyes on the sky. This was not the best time to discuss the gender of winged horses – not when the Harpies were flying closer and closer towards the Legends.

After the Chimera, they had thought they'd understand all of the crazy creatures Greek mythology contained. Somehow, it always became worse with the next Fugitive. The Caledonian Boar had been thrice as big as a normal boar; the Minotaur had human legs while all other limbs and the head were from a bull; the Chimera managed to combine a lion with a viper and a goat. But the Harpies were something else.

These three creatures were a little bigger than humans were. Their wings spanned four yards in total and they had a feathered tail, as well as typical bird legs and paws and claws. The other half – the main body and head – was human. The bird elements disappeared above their belly button. The three female birds displayed all elements that could be expected from a woman, including a human face, long straight auburn hair, and breasts. You'd think that last part would be the most distracting feature, but the bird-like elements were more eye-catching than the female features. On top of that, they screeched so loudly that the Legends had to cover their ears when they were close.

"Look, sisters!" the middle Harpy shouted. "More toys!" They flew in circles above their prey, ready to attack at any moment.

"They talk?" Wally said, completely bewildered. He had spoken loud enough for the Harpies to hear him. The three reacted as if Wally had offended them with his statement – and he had.

"They talk? Who do they think we are!" the middle one, named Aello, yelled. Her sisters nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we talk!" The Harpy on the left, Ocypete, shouted.

"How impolite," Celaeno, the Harpy on the right, commented and she shook her head disapprovingly.

"This is so weird," Zari then said. Greek mythological creatures, that was all good and well, but when they started to talk and comment on how impolite they were for not assuming they were capable of talking in the first place, that was crazy, plain and simple.

"True," Nate said. "I'm going to try something." He stepped away from the group, abandoning the safety in numbers to single himself out.

"Nate, wait—" Sara began. She wanted to grab him to pull him closer to the group again, but she could not reach him. He only took a couple of steps to the sides, but it had the intended effect: the Harpies now watched him with a hungry look in their eyes.

"Oh, Harpies, why are you doing this?" Nate shouted in the hopes that the Harpies would answer.

"Is the human talking to us?" Celaeno asked her sisters in disbelief. They were just as shocked as she was – humans usually did not talk back.

"Yes, he is," Nate responded. He straightened his back as he kept his eyes on the sky, a determined look on his face and with good hope that this little plan of his would work.

"I know who you are," Nate then said. "I know you are tasked with collecting and carrying people to where they must be. You carry those who murder their relatives to the Furies so they can be brought to justice. You steal the evil people from this world and bring them to Tartarus. You steal the food from King Phineus' plate – from under his nose – as a punishment for his bad deeds."

Nate quickly glanced at the group. Amaya shot him a confused look and other Legends were surprised to hear the last item. Nate had expected that his friends would have no idea what he was talking about. Maybe they should have read more Greek myths. This way, they would have been better prepared for this situation.

"Why are creatures, such as yourselves, concerned with these people?" Nate asked. "They are not evil nor have they ever done anything wrong." For the sake of his argument, Nate hoped he was right.

"They are  _human_ ," Aello emphasized the last word.

"They will eventually do something wrong," Celaeno added.

"We will take them to Tartarus in advance," Ocypete concluded.

Nate frowned at them. "But you don't do that." The Harpies don't usually take people to prevent evil deeds from happening. Their jobs description doesn't include terrorizing and killing innocent people. On the other hand, this was the first creature Nate could ask why they were doing what they were doing. It was best to hear them out.

"Says who?" Ocypete asked in an accusatory tone.

"Classic writers got it all wrong," Aello said as she shook her head in disgust. The movement knocked her off-balance for only a second.

"Periboea understands us," Celaeno nodded with the utmost confidence.

Now, that piece of information was interesting. "You know the Giantess?" Nate asked them.

"She brought us here!" Aello exclaimed with glee.

"She told us all about the sinners she had met in Tartarus," Celaeno said.

Ocypete tilted her head and stared at the Legends. "You have done a lot of bad things yourselves."

"No, Nate quickly said, "no, we did not." He shook his head in the hopes of distracting the Harpies from the fact that half of their crew have broken laws in the past. Yet this pleading was in vain.

"We see the evil you have done," Celaeno said. She and her sisters circled down towards the Legends.

"We know what you desperately try to hide from us," Aello said.

"You are no better than those humans are," Ocypete finished. From that moment onwards, all the Legends would hear from the Harpies were their screeches and screaming.

"Uh-oh," Nate said. His conversation hadn't had the wished effect; they weren't going to pass up on free violence now it was presented to them. At least Nate had tried to talk them out of it.

"Get ready," Sara said, pulling out her batons. The other Legends mentally prepared for the fight against the Harpies and scattered, so they would not be one big target for the three killing machines. Nate turned his skin to Steel and remained on that spot – if he was not mistaken, Celaeno seemed to still be specifically eyeing him.

The Harpies descended separately, each choosing different groups to target. They screeched during the descent to deafen them, which could make the first blow more effective. Celaeno did not, in fact, target Nate, but went after Zari and Sara instead. Ocypete did plan on tearing Nate to shreds, as well as Amaya and Mick. The last Harpy, Aello, chose to fight Wally, Ray, and Nora.

Wally was already circling around when Aello came down, while Ray lifted off to meet Aello in the middle. Nora would've done something, too, if it weren't for Ray seeking a confrontation with the Harpy and flying in Nora's way – she did not want to accidentally shoot him down. Aello and Ray did not collide into one another, but Ray shot his energy blasts at her from a close range and tried punching her as well. However, Aello was rather nimble and dodged most of the blast and punches. Unlike the Atom, she did manage to injure her opponent. Her sharp claws tare down the suit's metal casing and damaged it enough to disable most of the suit's functions, including the thrusters that kept Ray in the air.

Before Ray fully understood what was happening, he already plummeted to the Earth with little energy to save himself. Nora's quick thinking and use of telekinesis saved his life; as she reached her hands to the sky to catch him. It had not been enough to carry him, but it was enough to slow him down. Ray didn't land softly, but at least she broke his fall.

While all of that was going on, Wally had been running around, speeding and gathering kinetic energy. He stopped and threw that energy, in the form of a lightning bolt, towards Aello. This attack was so quick that the Harpy could not evade it. It hit her in her chest and stunned Aello, who crashed into the earth. Her claws twitched from the energy running through her – she was still alive, but she wouldn't be an immediate threat anymore.

Whereas Aello had the bad luck to have to face a speedster, Celaeno believed to have the easier targets: two female humans, who may be easy to beat. That mindset quickly changed when one of these humans called on the winds and made her descent a hundred times harder. The winds threw her around, pushed her higher to the sky, may even throw her on the ground if she wasn't careful.

Celaeno eventually made it the ground, about twenty yards away from her targets. She had made it, but the fighting the winds had exhausted her and Sara was running towards her already. Celaeno was barely able to fly at the appropriate height to fight the relentless assassin, who landed more blows on her than Celaeno could deal. Zari told the wind to still keep Celaeno off-balance, and this deadly combo soon made the Harpy surrender to the Legends, unhappy with the fight's results.

In the meantime, Ocypete cautiously descended, considering Mick was trying his best to 'burn the chicken woman'. The nimble Harpy evaded the flames and managed to get a hold of the gun herself. Her claws left major gashes in Mick's hand and she threw the gun far away. Still, with Mick's gun gone, there were two other threats Ocypete had to face: the steel Nate and Amaya, who had called on the spirit of the lion for more strength. Two formidable opponents who were ready for an attack.

Yet, Ocypete had seen how her sisters fared in combat. In hindsight, splitting up had not been the best idea. They should have stayed together. They covered more ground, but they were more vulnerable, too. And she soon noticed that they were extremely vulnerable fighting against these humans, who was abilities that injured them greatly.

Nate and Amaya had expected Ocypete to attack. Instead, she made a risky maneuver, slowly ascending again and allowing them to fight somewhere else. She came down again and violently grabbed a hold of Amaya – those claws dug deep into Amaya's shoulders – before flying away at break-neck speed.

It happened so quickly. There was nothing Nate nor Mick could do while Ocypete fled at a considerable speed with Amaya in her claws, all while the other Legends were only finishing the fight with their Harpies.

"Amaya!" Nate ran after them, knowing full well he could not catch up to them. They disappeared out of sight.

* * *

The fights were concluded; the Harpies Aello and Celaeno admitted defeat and were tied up. Now they had to look for Amaya.

They knew the general direction in which Ocypete had carried Amaya. They all generally looked in the sky, hoping the Harpy would circle back, hoping to catch a dark dot in the distance. Still, Amaya was strong and would not give up trying to break free. She had her totem; there is no way she would not win form the Harpy. If Amaya had truly fought Ocypete, where were the screeches? Why didn't she alert them to her current position?

Wally sped across the area at a slower speed than usual, just to make sure he wouldn't accidentally pass her and not notice. He did not stop to tell the others he had not seen her yet – he would point them in the right direction eventually. This did not mean that the Legends themselves did not do anything but stare; they, too, were walking and running around to look for Amaya in the more immediate surroundings.

Nate grew frustrated with every minute – the vegetation did not go any higher than at most their knees. How hard was it to find a person in these plains?

At long last, after what felt like hours under the harsh sun with limited bottles of water (Wally did not always run back to the Waverider to grab some water for the Legends), Nate saw her.

He did not know what happened. He could only guess how she ended up in that position. But she had freed herself from the Harpy – or Ocypete dropped her – and she must have made the fall. The angels at which her arms were laying, the unblinking eyes. It was so unfair to see the totem did not have so much as a scratch and lay fifteen feet away from Amaya, who did not move.

_I should call the others._

But he couldn't. Amaya needed help; maybe there was still something he could do.

Nate acted out of denial. He approached her and placed two fingers on her wrist, trying to find a pulse that was now impossible to find. He put his fingers on a different position; maybe he placed them at the wrong spot, that could be the reason why he did not find anything. He repeated the process at least three times before he gave up looking for a pulse.

_No. No, this couldn't be happening._  He performed CPR on her. One voice in his head said that it was too late, that she's dead – another voice was convinced Nate could still bring her back. She couldn't die here – she needed to go back home.

Wally arrived on the scene after he had warned the other Legends of Amaya's location. He didn't slow down nor stop the CPR. He did not allow himself to rest – if he gave up, it was over (it's already over). Amaya had to make it through. She had to.

"Nate?" Wally must have seen the opened eyes and how they didn't close anymore. Nate didn't like to look at it.

_She can't die now. She has a future. She has a husband to return to, she has to have her daughter, a granddaughter, we can't let her die here, she needs to return to Zambesi. She needs to back._

"Nate." He slightly raised his voice and placed a hand on Nate's shoulder. "She's gone."

"No," Nate responded, still in denial.  _She can't be dead. She can't be, she shouldn't be. She's gonna make it any minute. It'll be fine._

But it wasn't fine.

Ray arrived on the scene as well and he had to help Wally to pull Nate away from her body to stop him from wasting his energy. They didn't let go, not even when Nate tried to get back to Amaya. It would work out, he just needed to do it a little longer.

Then he caught a glimpse of Ray. There were tears in his eye. This image prompted Nate to stop struggling.

"She's gone, Nate," Ray said, "I'm so sorry, but she didn't make it."

Just like that, Nate broke down. The urge to save Amaya melted away and exhausting him hard. He couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face. He clung to his friends and cried on their shoulders while the other Legends arrived and found the corpse.


	22. Grief

They returned Amaya's body to the Waverider and placed her in her room, by lack of a better place to lay her down. It was out of the question to leave her in a strange time in a strange place. Sara had not given the order to leave yet, either. The cloaking system was on, so the citizens of Crete would not arrive unannounced. They stayed, for the time being, while they dealt with grief.

Mick retreated to the kitchen. Four empty bottles and three as of yet unopened bottles stood in front of him on the table, while he finished his fifth beer as quickly as possible. It got to him harder than he would ever dare confess. He did what he always did when he tried to forget or to wash away his sorrow, which was to attempt to drink the problems away.

Sara was in the captain's office. Unlike Mick, she drank her whiskey one sip at a time, with long intervals between each sip. The intervals served to torment her; her mind reminded her Amaya died on her watch and that she didn't do more to avoid this was unforgivable; that it was somehow her fault, as captain, that Amaya could not come home. Even though Amaya would tell Sara that it was not her fault and that she shouldn't be feeling guilty.

Wally, Ray, and Zari distanced themselves as well, each of them struggling with their own grief and dealing with it in their own way. Zari sat around and spoke with Nora about Amaya; Nora had only known Amaya as an enemy, and not really as an ally. Zari was more than happy to provide details Nora asked for. Ray went to the lab to find some way to save Amaya's life without breaking this timeline – his theories only remained theoretical, since he would need to run a simulation with Gideon and feared for the consequences to the timeline. Wally sat around him his room and tried to be productive, every so often checking up on Nate.

Nate never left her side. Twenty-four hours on end, he stayed in her room, sitting in a chair and staring at her corpse. Guilty dark thoughts consumed him. He should have immediately gone after her. He should've focused on the one Harpy. He should've stuck with her; nobody should take on a Harpy alone. Then there was the past and the impact her death here would have.

Amaya doesn't return home, to her husband. She never has a daughter, who will never have two daughters. Mari and Kuasa stop existing. Mari doesn't help Oliver Queen with Damien Darhk. Most importantly, Amaya Is not present while white people – or, in the new timeline, Grodd – come to destroy the village.

It was her original moment of death. That was where she was supposed to die, new timelines or not. Seeing her on her bed, unmoving… it did not just feel wrong, it  _was_  wrong.

She is supposed to live. She shouldn't he dead, she should return to Zambesi.

An even more dangerous thought popped up inside his head. With a clear mind, he may have come up with the same idea, but he may have discarded it. but he wasn't in his right mind at the moment and once the idea was rooted inside his mind, Nate could not shake it off.

Amaya had to live. No matter the cost.

"I'll be right back," Nate whispered and he stood up, turning his back to her and walking out of her room. He did not come across one of the Legends – they were busy themselves. Before going out, Nate went to his room. There was something in there he needed to pick up, he was going to look up some information and when he finished that, he was ready to complete his crazy plan.

Nate looked up the necessary information: references to the different entrances to the Underworld and where some evidence supported these reference points. After hours of work, Nate had found what he was looking for and wrote the information down on a piece of paper, which he put in his pocket. Before he left, he also grabbed the little vial in which he kept the poppy powder and leaves.

It was time to go to the jumpship. He walked through the corridors of the Waverider without any obstacles. Nate counted down the number of corridors he still had to walk through before he reached it. Just one more corner, and then it would be one straight line to the jumpship. Almost there.

Wally zipped past Nate and stood in his way. The speedster had folded his arms and stared at Nate in disappointed.

"Wally!" Nate exclaimed in an annoyed tone– he hadn't expected Wally to surprise him like that. couldn't he have chosen another time? "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you when I didn't find you in Amaya's room or yours. I thought I'd find you here." There was a worried tone in his voice and a frown on his face, and Nate was confused. How did Wally find out?

He left open the books in his room. With one glance, Wally saw what Nate researched. The speedster had figured out Nate's plan, and Wally wasn't going to let Nate leave the Waverider today.

"Don't do this," Wally then said.

"You don't even know what I'm gonna do," Nate retorted, in the hope that Wally hadn't read the books and had just come without knowing Nate's plan.

"I can make an educated guess," Wally said. "We're all mourning, but your grief is making you do things you may regret later." That was surprisingly accurate. Nate had no idea whether he would regret his decision; he only knew he would try. Still, he could not deny Wally was right.

The speedster took a step closer to his friend and lowered his voice. "Whatever you're going to do, it's not worth it."

"She's always worth it," Nate said. tears welled up in his eyes again. He suppressed them more easily now. He could not let dark thoughts consume him now – he needed his mind to be as clear as it could be.

"I can't let you leave," Wally said. "Not like this." He watched his friend with a stern look.

Nate glanced from Wally to the jumpship's entrance behind Wally's back. How could he get past Wally? Just sprinting past him won't do it, especially because Wally could stop him in an instant. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets, where he found the vial in which he kept the poppy.

Right; the poppy.

"And I respect that," Nate said in response. "But if you don't step aside, I  _will_  use this." He pulled the vial out of his pocket and opened it.

Wally was not the least bit impressed by this strange turn of events. He had no idea what exactly the vial contained, but it seemed harmless enough. He did not know what to expect what Nate used it – then again, neither did Nate, who hoped that the poppy's sleepy effect would be enough to at least slow Wally down.

"What's that?" Wally asked. Nate shrugged.

"A poppy; or, it was." He did not lower the hand in which he held the vial and continued to stare at Wally. Wally, upon learning the content of the vial, lowered his shoulders and stared at Nate with disbelief.

"Really?"

Nate did not respond; instead, he moved to the left. Wally was not distracted enough and followed Nate's movement. "No, I'm not letting you through."

Too bad.

"I did warn you," Nate said and he dumped the content of the vial on Wally, who did nothing to stop Nate from doing this. In his eyes, Nate had lost and tried the strangest thing to do something he wasn't supposed to do. In no time, Wally was covered in poppy powder and leaves and he stared at Nate with disappointment.

Nate waited for the flower to do its magic, watching Wally in anticipation. Seconds passed and nothing happened. Nate frowned – when he'd made skin contact with the flower, he was exhausted immediately. How did Wally not feel that? Or was he hiding it?

"Was that supposed to do anything?" Wally asked in his normal tone. Nate sighed in disappointment – it hadn't worked.

"Yes," he said. Now, that sucked. He had hoped it would have at least  _some_  effect. On top of that, he had no plan B. He glanced at the door of the jumpship, which seemed to taunt him from that distance. No solo journey through time and space.

Wally came closer and placed a hand on Nate's shoulder. He squeezed it tightly, as to signal that Nate still had a friend in him.

"Just give it up, okay?" Wally asked. "We're all mourning, we all miss her. But we're heroes, not gods. We can't bring anyone back from the dead, and neither can you. You'll have to—"

Wally brought his hand up to conceal a yawn he could not suppress. Nate watched this happen with great interest.

"Sorry about that," Wally said, not linking that with the poppy. "Just… don't do it. We'll find another way."

"Okay," Nate said and he nodded. "I won't go. You've convinced me."

Wally frowned. "Really?" Nate continued nodding. The longer he stalled, the sooner Wally may succumb to the sleep induced by the poppy. Nate hoped he came over as genuine – if he didn't, he hoped that Wally wanting to go to sleep may conceal some of the flaws in Nate's presentation.

"Yeah, I see it now. It's an irrational plan. I've tried to find a quick solution where there is none. You're right, there is probably another way, a loophole we can exploit. Can you blame me? Amaya…" He trailed off. He couldn't finish the sentence. Amaya is dead. Saying it out loud was like accepting this happened, and he was trying to undo this.

"That's great." A grin broke on Wally's face in relief. He yawned again, longer this time, and it was so strong Nate yawned as well.

"Yeah, it is," Nate said and he glanced at his watch. It was synced to the time of the Waverider; it wasn't too late in the evening, though around this time the first Legends did go to bed. Nate looked up from the watch and at Wally. "Isn't it time to go to bed, anyway?"

"Well…" Wally began, but then it clicked. At the same time, he became aware of his weak legs and his exhausted body. He may not have even the energy left to cover the short distance to his room. When he looked at Nate and saw the interest, he knew it. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did," Nate confirmed. "Sorry, but I have to go." He moved to the left to walk around the speedster, but Wally blocked his way again, this time leaning against the wall, attempting to talk Nate out of it one last time.

"Don't," he said. short and simple, two words carrying the weight of Wally's worry for his friend. But Nate shook his head. This brought him no pleasure, but it needed to be done. For Amaya. No loopholes this time; she needed to die in Zambesi, not in Crete.

"I already made up my mind. when I'm back, she'll live again. Sleep tight."

Wally was barely able to keep his eyes open now. Nate patted the speedster once on his shoulder as if to say 'no hard feelings'. At that same moment, Wally collapsed. Nate crouched down and checked to see if there was still a pulse, just in case. He couldn't live with himself if this would lead to Wally's death.

But there was a pulse, and Nate could start his journey without a worry. He stepped away from the speedster and walked into the jumpship. He typed in the coordinates of the location he wanted to travel to and decided to go back twelve hours, so he would arrive right after Amaya had died.

Nate pulled the lever and the jumpship disappeared into the time stream. He would not return until he was certain Amaya would be alive when he did return.


	23. Kassandra peninsula

Zari could not tell where the feeling was coming from. But since this morning, she had a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong today. She had shared her concerns with Nora, though she still wouldn't trust the Darhk girl with her life. Nora did not share the same gut feeling, but she did tell Zari not to ignore it, as it may be right.

Zari left her room and wandered about on the Waverider with no clear goal. She had no idea what she was looking for, but she would know it when she saw it. She did avoid Amaya's living quarters – she did not feel like seeing the body. They'd have to return the body home. It would be better not to mention how she died or how far along their quest she passed away; the only thing they needed to know was that Amaya had died a hero.

Of course, they would try to bring her back. There probably was a loophole they could exploit to keep Amaya alive and save her from that moment. But until then, and in case there was no such loophole, it was best to prepare to tell the Zambesians their leader died.

Her journey through the timeship brought her to where the jumpship was supposed to be. Supposed – the door was locked and the jumpship itself was missing. In addition to this, Wally was laying on the ground, unmoving, covered in something red.

This was bad.

"Guys?" Zari said through the comms. "We have a problem at the jumpship."

Nobody immediately answered her. most of the Legends probably weren't listening to the comms or did not even wear them at that moment. Still, if someone had heard it, they were coming right now. And until that Legend came to her, she should check for a pulse.

She wiped a little bit of the red powder off of Wally's wrist, which induced exhaustion in her. When she wiped the powder off of her, that exhaustion vanished almost instantly. Her first impression was that the red powder that was only sporadically applied to Wally, especially his front and head, was the cause of this situation. He had a pulse and while the silence continued, Zari picked up on some soft snoring and a rhythmic and calm breathing.

He wasn't just unconscious. He was sleeping.

Sara turned around the corner – she must have responded to the message Zari had sent out.

"Jumpship's gone," Zari said to avoid Sara having to ask what had happened. "And he is asleep."

"Sleeping?" Sara said in a confused voice and Zari nodded. Questions arose. What had happened to their jumpship? Why was Wally asleep in the hallway to the jumpship? Whatever it was, there must've been some conflict. Since Gideon would have alerted them of any intruders, someone on the ship had done this.

"Who's sleeping?" Ray asked over the comms. He had been a little busy to pay attention to Zari's asking for help – and he knew Sara was probably on her way – but now he was listening in, he wanted to know why the jumpship was gone and who was apparently sleeping in the hallway.

"Wally is," Sara said.

"I found him asleep," Zari explained, to clear up any thoughts Ray may have had about the situation. She did not mention the red powder-substance that was on Wally, though. What she was certain of, was the correlation between Wally being asleep and the jumpship being gone. Sara suspected about who may have done this.

"Ray, can you check if Nate is still on board?" Sara asked him.

"On it," Ray confirmed on the other side of the line. His line went silent and Sara focused on Wally again. Now she, too, noticed the small amounts of red powder on him. She did not touch it as Zari did, but she did take a closer look at it.

"What's that?" Sara wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Zari said, "but that is making him sleep." And just making skin contact made you feel exhausted. But that did not answer all of the questions. Where did this powder come from? How did someone – probably Nate – get his hands on it to throw it on Wally?

"Nate's not in his room or Amaya's," Ray told the group; just as Sara had suspected, Nate was gone.

So, what had happened? Nate must have had a crazy idea, possibly to get Amaya back. He doesn't share with the rest of the group to come up with a solution together and wants to go on his own. He wants to take the jumpship, but Wally comes to stand in the way. The next events are still uncertain, but Wally eventually falls asleep on the ground covered in small amounts of red powder while Nate has probably left with the jumpship. They should review security footage to know what did happen.

"Sara? The seismograph is going crazy," Ray broke the silence. Another Fugitive was spotted in history. Normally, it would be good news, but not right at this moment. They were missing two Legends now, and possibly a third if Wally didn't wake up soon.

"On my way," she told Ray and then turned her head to Zari. "Can you take him to his room?"

Zari nodded. "Yeah, I'll manage."

Sara did not doubt Zari's strength and so, she left her and Wally behind to go to the captain's office. It was time to see which Fugitive had decided to show its face at such a bad time and how they could take him out. They luckily were on a timeship, so they didn't have to immediately act.

She entered the bridge and walked into the captain's office, where Ray and Nora were already waiting for her. Nora still stayed around Ray or Zari to keep the trust she was gaining with every positive action; still, her past sins and her father's hung around her like a stench she could not get rid of. Sara acknowledged their presence and then looked at the screen.

"Alright, Gideon, where is the Fugitive?" she asked.

 _"The Giant Clytius has been spotted on the Kassandra Peninsula, Greece, in 1912_." Gideon pulled up images from the area in that time. Sara leaned on the desk while looking at them.

"Is that the Giant we're looking for?" Nora wondered. She had no idea what exactly was going on. She hadn't heard of the Kassandra Peninsula, nor did she know of anyone named Clytius. But honestly, neither would Sara, if she hadn't asked Gideon to keep any eye on mythological fugitives that had shown up on the radar but who hadn't caused too major time quakes so far.

"He is a giant," Sara said. "He's not the Giantess we're tasked to stop, but he did escape the Underworld, too. He just ended up in a different time than her."

"Okay," Nora said. It still did not make a lot of sense, but within the context, she did understand the situation.

"Gideon, plot a course," Sara said before walking to the captain's chair. It was time to confront their first Giant.

"Shouldn't we wait for Wally?" Ray then asked. Hermes had told them they would be needing a speedster by their side if they wanted to succeed in fighting the Giantess. Clytius may not be a she, but e still was a Giant. In that sense, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to wait for Nate, either.

"What if it hurts people when we could've stopped it." Nora countered, looking him right in the eye. Ray admitted that she did make a good point. Nora turned to Sara, who had shared the same thought. "We should go."

The two women looked at one another. Sara turned her head to Ray.

"Suit up," she told him. Ray left the bridge to go to his room and to put on the atom suit. Sara repeated the message over the comms and told the Legends who weren't present what was going to happen. Then, they were on their way to the Kassandra peninsula.

* * *

The Kassandra peninsula was one of three peninsulas connected to the landmass of the province of Macedonia. Several small towns were scattered across the peninsula, as well as a wildlife refuge. The giant seemed to dwell in the environment of this refuge. If someone had seen him, he had to be quite the attraction. If the people had not noticed this giant, then where was he hiding? The trees weren't very high and other than the small forests in the wildlife refuge and on the east side of the peninsula, there was not much that reached higher than the tops of those trees.

The Legends landed in a nearby field, next to the rugged hills of the wildlife refuge. Small roads, barely asphalted and possibly hard to drive on for normal cars, ran through the landscape and provided necessary access to the fields for the local farmers. Once the reflector shields were on, the Waverider blended in with the environment and Wally lay safely in his bed. A note by his bedside explained what was happening, in case he woke up while they were gone.

The Legends, all dressed up for battle, exited the time ship. They walked down the by-road and took a right, so they could enter the wildlife refuge. There were no physical barriers that could prevent anyone from entering the park; the government decreed nobody build anything there and the locals obeyed those laws.

There was one person they had not expected to see. John Constantine was leaning against a lonely tree and seemed to enjoy the afternoon sun, leisurely smoking a cigarette. He had noticed them before, but now they also saw him. And when they did, the group paused and exchanged confused looks amongst each other.

Many things were wrong with the picture. For starters, John did not have access to any time travel device nor was there a spell for time traveling (as far as they were aware) and yet he is in Greece in the early 1900s. How did John get here, and why did he come here out of all the places he could travel to?

"Well, if it isn't John Constantine," Sara said, folding her arms. Only after she spoke did the master of the occult turn his head to the group. He dropped the cigarette stomp and extinguished it with his foot. He then put his hands in his pockets and came closer to them as they approached him.

"What are you doing here?" Sara asked him, using an indifferent tone. It could have easily been confounded or interested. It was best not to approach him with too hostile of an attitude since he technically had nothing to do with anything that happened on the Legends' journey to find Periboea and to defeat her.

"What does it look like," John responded in a grumpy voice. "I'm here to find a Giant. That's what you're here for, right?"

That was true. But how did John know they were here looking for a Giant?

"I thought you didn't want to get involved," Zari asked him. She as well as the other Legends – excluding Mick – were genuinely curious about John(s answer.

"I didn't," John said, emphasizing that verb. "But then something from that world attacked me. I was stuck there! I had to fight my way out of literal Hell and ended up in this time and place somehow." He briefly paused and saw there were still curious looks on their faces. "I've been here for four days now. I didn't try to contact you because I'd heard a Giant had escaped using the same route I had. My captors weren't familiar with the concept of shutting up and I figured you would come to get that Giant one way or another."

"So, do you want to help?" Ray asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice. After facing four Greek Fugitives, it would be splendid to have John Constantine on their side again. It would be that extra piece of firepower they may need if they wanted to stop this giant from doing whatever he was doing.

John nodded, determination in his eyes. "Yes, I'm willing to help you out." He let his eyes go over the group again and frowned. "I thought Nate and Wally would join you in your quest."

"They're otherwise occupied," Sara said. If John joined them on the Waverider afterward, Sara would gladly tell him about what happened that lead to Nate and Wally not being on this peninsula with the rest of the Legends. But for now, there was an enemy in the wildlife refuge that needed to be taken down and they did not have the time to get into that long story again.

John nodded. "I see. Now, who wants to hunt a Giant?"


	24. Orpheus and Eurydice

The jumpship touched down in the Mediterranean landscape. There was nothing in sight that grew any higher than Nate's knees or even ankles, and there were more gray and beige rocks than there was any green. From his position, he could see the sea everywhere but behind him, where the Mani peninsula connected to the mainland of Greece. In front of him stood a tower, the white lighthouse of Cape Tenaron. This was not as historic as many might believe it to be, but Nate had not come here for its history. He had come to find an entrance to the Underworld.

The sun was already setting – no more tourists or locals were around anymore, not even in the lighthouse. It was a magnificent view, with the yellow and orange light painting a beautiful picture on the water with the lighthouse in focus. Nate did not go towards that lighthouse – instead, he turned his back to it and followed the tracks that lead to a parking lot, only twenty minutes away. He did not walk all the way over there, but he did follow the road for five minutes at a considerable pace. Then he turned to the left, treading off the path and climbing over rocks to make it to the place he was looking for.

At long last, he found it. In the distance, near the water, he found a cave. He'd have to climb down the rocks and risk slipping and falling into the water. It would have to do. He needed to climb if he wanted to go there, anyway.

"Are you sure?" A female voice said behind him. Nate around and almost lost his footing for a moment. A little ahead stood an older woman whose dark hair danced in the wind and whose olive skin was accentuated by the white, nearly transparent tunic. She stood there barefoot and stable on the uneven rocks, not even bothered by the rugged landscape. There was a warm smile on her face, though there was a certain sadness to it as well, and her gaze was aimed at Nate.

"I'm sorry, what?" Nate responded. He might have come up with better words, but he didn't.

"Are you sure you want to go to the Underworld?" The woman asked him. "If you fall, you won't have a choice, but do you really want it?"

"You're a goddess, aren't you?" Nate looked at her with interested. How else would she know what he was up to? She had to be, even if her appearance did not make her look all that special. He had expected her to, because of her status, but maybe that was the point. Maybe they were supposed to look like flawed people, actual human beings, instead of literal beauty queens and macho men.

"Not exactly," the woman answered. "but I am related to them." The woman came closer to him and extended her hand towards Nate. "My name is Philotes. Friends call me Phil."

Nate reluctantly extended his hand and shook hers. This was not something he'd expected.

"Hi… Phil," he said. He would be lying if he said this did not confuse him. He had not thought that someone like her would act in such a friendly manner and would be welcoming towards a mortal. He almost immediately let go again, uncomfortable with the situation. "Nice to meet you. I'm so sorry, but I'm on a tight schedule. If you want to talk, we can do so later, but now I'll—"

"You didn't answer my question," Phil said, a curious and sad look in her eyes. "Are you sure you want to go to the Underworld?"

Nate nodded once. "Yes, I am."

Phil tilted her head. "You remind of another young man I once knew. He went to the Underworld as well. Only he brought a lyre, while you came empty-handed."

Was she talking about Orpheus? "What happened to him?" Nate asked out of politeness. She may be talking about another young man with a lyre that wanted to go to hell.

The sadness expelled all other emotions from her face. "Human error. He failed to bring her back." There was a brief pause, in which Nate started to doubt his plan. she was talking about Orpheus. He was certain not to make the same mistake, but still, that doubt came through.

"Hades does not like to allow reaped souls to return to their bodies. You will need to have a good reason."

"I'll think about it," Nate said. That was such a daunting task, something he hadn't quite thought about. How would he convince the King of Hell to release one specific dead person? Death does not discriminate and may not care about which specific time and space, so Nate didn't expect Hades to make an exception for Amaya Jiwe.

Still, he had to try.

"Before you go," Phil said, "I have some gifts for you." She pulled the items out of nowhere and handed them to Nate.

"A flashlight and a coin?" Nate asked, a frown on his face. He could understand the reason for the flashlight, but his knowledge of the Greek world only extended to the most common myths. If the coin had any significance in the larger Greek world, he did not remember its value.

"You'll need the torch. Your human eyes may not see everything you may come across without it and you will need to see where you are going. As for the drachma: if you want to cross the river Styx, you will need to pay. This will provide you access to the Underworld." Phil placed a comforting hand on Nate's arm and smiled at him with the same reassuring smile, now devoid of sadness. She withdrew her hand before she spoke again. "Good luck, Nathaniel. I truly hope she is worth it."

He glanced at the items again. He looked up again, to tell her that Amaya was always worth it, but Phil had already left. That was not too surprising – he heard the stories from other Legends who encountered gods and goddesses and them just leaving where they stood without saying goodbye

when they were done.

Nate put the coin in his pocket, held the flashlight in his left hand and then climbed down the rocks, to the entrance of the cave. The rocks weren't as slippery as he imagined they would be, and he soon found the cave he'd been looking for. He squeezed through the small opening and continued to crawl until there was enough space for him to stand. He looked behind him; his eyes had gotten used to the darkness, while the light of the setting sun did not reach this far into the cave and was just a white dot in the darkness.

Nate lit up the flashlight. So far, it was still a normal cave with normal rocks. Some bats flew over his head, but nothing out of the ordinary had shown itself yet.

Nate descended deeper into the cave. Slowly, the world around him grew darker and darker, despite the flashlight Phil had given him. He barely could see more than two yards ahead and slowed his pace, careful not to slip on something he could have easily seen.

At long last, Nate noticed the cave had adopted a circular shape with less and less rough spots. The short piece of the circular hallway led him straight to the main entrance to the Underworld. There was no ceremony attacked to it: no sign that said 'Underworld', nothing to warn any mortal not to enter. It looked normal, and that was creepy.

In front of him lay a dark cavern so large it may fit the entire Time Bureau headquarters. There was a staircase wide enough to accommodate ten to twenty people walking next to one another. The stairs were steep – steep enough that the only way these could be used for was to walk down instead of going up. At the bottom of this staircase, who knows how deep it was, ran a silver river and a shapeless black dot slowly edging from one side to the other. Upon entering the cavern, the flashlight had turned into an old-fashioned torch. In its light, shadows and spirits passed him, but they were only visible in the torch's light before they merged with the darkness again.

Nate took a deep breath. His vision only affirmed his actions. He was meant to do this because he had seen this happen before. Then there was this draw to go down, too, some supernatural pull that encouraged Nate not to wait. Nate obeyed that draw and descended into the Underworld.

He lost track of time as he approached the river, which became wider with every few yards he descended into Hades. Had he been walking for half an hour? Or maybe an hour or two? Was this his mind playing tricks on him or just the darkness of the environment that did not help him. These thoughts returned every so often, with nothing much else to think about, but Nate dismissed it. however, he could not dismiss that, since his arrival here, he hadn't grown any more hungry or tired. He'd been carrying the torch in the same hand and he did not feel the need to let it rest by switching it to the other arm. It must be one of the many effects the Underworld had on people.

When he was about three-quarters down, another thought occurred to him. People died all the time. He saw some shadows and spirits passing by in the light of his torch, going faster than him, but that was all he saw. How many of them were around him? How many of them were storming past him to catch the ferry down below? It creeped him out.

There came an end to the staircase at last and Nate set foot on the flattened rock floor. Fifty meters ahead, the silver river Styx meandered along and from the unseen other side, a ferryboat appeared. The ferryman Charon stood at the bow. Whatever Nate was expecting him to look like, this skeleton-grim reaper without his scythe merger was not it. The ferryman caught his eye and a chill went down Nate's spine. Charon terrified him, but his glare did not demotivate him in the slightest.

Nate overcame his initial shock rather easily – don't look at him, think of Amaya – as he approached the ferry. In the light of the torch, he witnessed many ghosts rushing past him to board the boat. He may not see them, but the boat did not immediately leave either, so boarding still was as slow as it may above the ground.

"Hey," Nate said to draw Charon's attention. When the ferryman turned his head, Nate focused his gaze on the black hood instead of on the skull. "Hi. Er, I would like to cross the Styx, please."

If Charon had eyes, he would roll them. "Another tourist." His voice had a thick Greek accent, which possibly may be an ancient Greek accent. This was not the kind of accent that he had expected to hear. On the other hand, this was the man who was supposed to bring the dead to the Greek afterlife, so why wouldn't he speak with a Greek accent?

"I can pay," Nate said before Charon could leave him on the shore. He pulled the coin out of his pocket and extended it towards Charon. "Is this enough?"

The ferryman grabbed the drachma and stuffed it into his pocket. He may not be getting paid well anymore these days.

"Get in." Charon's voice was not any friendlier than it had been a couple of moments ago. Nate sighed in relief.

"Thank you so much."

But Charon still blocked Nate's way.

"Leave the torch," Charon commanded, glaring at the torch Nate was still holding in his hand. Nate obeyed the command and placed the torch on the ground. It did not turn back into a flashlight when Nate let go of it, but the flame did stop burning. Nate hurried into the boat, worrying he wouldn't see anything anymore.

But his vision did not fade. As soon as he boarded, his eyes must have adjusted to the darkness around him. And he could finally see the ghosts, too. They stared at him with a certain uncomfortable look in their eyes. There was no place to sit down; Nate would have to remain standing next to the ferryman.

As soon as Nate grabbed the side of the boat for some extra support, the ferry started moving through the water. It was such a strange feeling, standing there and feeling like you were the only person, while also being surrounded by so many deceased. The thought, as many did these moments, creeped him out. He needed to distract himself.

"You're not going to ask me what I'm doing here?" Nate asked Charon. The ferryman did not even look at Nate when he answered; he still needed to do his job and was not going to let a mortal distract him.

"That is your business, not mine," Charos answered in that dry accent and indifferent tone. "But let me guess. You're coming for your girlfriend."

Nate frowned. "I… How did you—"

"They always come for their girlfriends," Charon said in a neutral voice. "Only one man came to talk to his father. Aeneas did not have a girlfriend back then. I liked him."

"None of your business, huh?" If the business of the mortal travelers was none of Charon's, then why recount this one tale of a guy who came to have a short chat with his deceased father for some reason. If Nate recalled correctly, Aeneas is mythologically quite important, being a Trojan who made it out of the city and traveling to Italy, later described as an ancestor of Emperor August.

"They just don't stop talking," Charon admitted.

"Oh," Nate said. Well, he now knew why they never stopped talking about what they were here to do. The ferry did not look very stable, the waters were not something Nate would fall in and in general, this was not something he'd like to do again. Nate very much wanted this journey to be over with, to set foot on land again, and the best way to pass the time was to talk.

"I've been wondering…" Nate paused. "You know, I'd like to know, do many souls take this boat?" Considering the size of the boat and how crowded it was, he did not seem to be put out of a job soon.

"They all do," Charon said. He answered it as if he heard the question before. Then again, he must have heard every question before.

"But still…" Nate continued. "Not to be rude or anything, not at all, it's just… What about the Christians? The Muslims, the Hindus?" This method of traveling to the afterlife was heavily related to concepts of Greek mythology and beliefs: paying for the ferry that brought you to the other side. While Nate himself didn't really believe, there were many out there who believed in something that wasn't related to Greek myths at all. And since they exist, how did it fit into the bigger picture? Did God exist? According to Constantine, He does, but He's apparently not very loving. But then what about the god or gods of other beliefs?

"They pass here for free," Charon explained. "On the other side, they are sorted into beliefs and sent to their respective areas. The Greek Asphodel Fields are for the atheists, Christian heaven borders Elysium and Muslim heaven. We do not discriminate here."

"Thanks," Nate said, nodding a couple of times. "Good to know."

"Why do you ask such a question?" Charon then asked him. Nate had not expected this – the ferryman did not strike him as the question-asking type. Nate shrugged in response.

"Just curious," Nate responded, Zari on his mind. He had been wondering about this since he learned about the Greek gods being real. Zari had to be wondering about this as well, or she knew where she would end up when her time was up. And still, it was a comforting thought that everyone had a place in this afterlife, that they overlapped, that even those who didn't believe were allowed to enter the Asphodel Fields. Nobody would be rejected, and that was a nice thought.

The remainder of the ferry ride was spent in silence. This silence lasted for ten more minutes before the ferry arrived on the other side of the river and approached the mooring point.

This side of the river was much more pleasant to look at. That is, there at least was something to look at. A wide path was paved to a large gateway in the distance. Three dogs barked so loudly they were audible from the Styx – three dog heads belonging to the same guard dog Cerberus. The barking alone served as a stark reminder that those who go never return to the world above the ground.

Anxiousness took a grip of him. Nate became more and more aware of the gravity of his situation each time he took a step towards the gate. He may not come out of this alive. He may fail in his quest… no! He shouldn't think this way. He'd never doubted his reasons, and he wasn't going to start now. He had to at least try to appeal to Hades and his wife to release Amaya. And if they said no and decided to keep him trapped down here as well… The Legends were inventive enough to put together a crazy escape plan that may work. Before he knew it, he stood before the gate and an undead person – not a ghost – walked up to him. He had a weird posture walked around with a bent back and twisted neck, bloodstains still upon his face and neck.

"You ain't dead," he said and looked at Nate with the greatest interest. How much time had passed since this undead man had seen a living man?

"I know," Nate said, uncomfortable under the curious stare. This uncomfortable feeling seemed to be the default in this world. "I, er, would like to speak with Hades, please?"

"Do you have an appointment?" The man asked with a raspy voice. Nate frowned.

"I… what?" He had heard nothing of appointments. Besides, wouldn't someone tell him that he had to have an appointment to even come close enough to Hades to have a short conversation with him?

"No, then," the undead man said. "You'll have to wait here until he has time for you. That may take a long, long time."

"But this can't wait," Nate said. "It's a matter of life and death." And now he wondered how much time had already passed up there. Had they found Periboea's hide-out yet? Had Wally already waken up and told the Legends what Nate was up to? did they mourn and move on, or did they temporarily dismiss him, believing he would return? Would they rescue him once they learned that Hades – for now still hypothetically – held him captive?

The man nodded. "Yeah, yeah, it always is," he said. He then said something, but Nate could not quite make out what he was trying to say – the man was muttering to himself and shaking his head.

"That's enough, Hector," a voice from behind the man said. "Let him through."

Hector the undead guard grumbled under his breath and stepped out of the way, revealing a small girl who looked young, but who also seemed to bear the wisdom of the ages with her.

"I will guide you to Hades," the girl said. She promptly turned around and walked away, forcing Nate to follow her through the Underworld.

He did not find a conversational partner in the girl. She was so stoic and silent, he didn't even hear her footsteps. Nate didn't have much time to look around either, for she walked quickly and Nate did not want to lose her from his sight. Maybe it was best that he could not see what was going on. They had to have passed Tartarus at one point – it was visible in the far distance, but that section of the Underworld was a demanding presence. It may even be an entity itself that required some attention and that drew in unfortunate souls who were passing through. At other times, Nate also spotted more undead people, who all had that same curiosity in him as Hector had. He did not know what their purpose was here.

But, for the most part, the journey brought him through meadows where he couldn't help but feel unenergetic. The grass was a dull green, the sky was grey and overall there was no good mood, but not exactly a bad mood either. Nate figured that those souls who were not the evil scum of the earth, but who weren't heroes or saints, would end up on those meadows, those Asphodel Fields. For the first time, Nate did not want to see the ghosts, these dead people who did nothing spectacular in their lives and who thus were forced to live out their dull moments.

At long last, something changed in the landscape. Atop the largest hill on the meadow fields stood a white temple, which contrasted heavily with the dark gray sky. It stood out like a sore thumb, the marble wonder impressive to all who first saw it; a reminder that the rulers of the Underworld had chosen to build their home and throne room amidst 'average' souls. For as long as this building was into view, Nate could not take his eyes off of it. It was also the most interesting thing to look at and the only thing taller than anything that grew on the meadows.

Before he knew it, Nate stood at the foot of the temple's hill. The girl who had to lead him waited there, while Nate climbed the hill to meet the Lord of the Underworld on his own.

The doors were closed and Nate hesitated. Should be knock? Should he wait? Fear and doubt washed over him again, and he quickly pushed that away. He couldn't give up now. He grabbed the door handles and pushed the doors open. He walked inside for a couple of steps before lifting his head and stopped.

The sight was one to behold, to be feared not to disturb. Later, Nate would not be able to remember how exactly they looked. He only remembered Hades's skin van was pale while Persephone's was dark, that both sat on their respective thrones and watched him, that terror gripped him and did not let go.

"Come closer," Hades said in a low voice and Nate obeyed without hesitation, though his steps were slow and heavy. He did not look away from the two rulers of the Underworld. He halted at about ten yards away from their thrones; they were not as big as Nate previously thought, but they had to still be at least ten foot tall. Was that their original size, or had they shrunk themselves as not to intimidate the mortal who came to request something.

"Speak," Persephone said. Both her and Hades solemnly stared at him. At that moment, Nate felt so small, like an ant who met a giant for the first time. He briefly forgot how to speak, but soon regained his speech. Still, his talking started slowly and only later sounded more fluent.

"I, er…" His throat was dry – when did that happen? "I have a request." He stopped, half-expecting the gods before him to ask what the request was. But they remained silent, so Nate continued after an awkward pause. "It concerns Amaya Jiwe. I'm going to need her to come back with me."

"Why do you want her back?" Hades asked him in the same voice, that sounded scary yet kind of reassuring, permitting the mortal to speak without being interrupted by either Hades or Persephone.

"She's a Legend," Nate said. As he spoke, his tone grew more affectionate, less stilted and by the time he spoke the last sentence, he put his heart into it. "She had joined the fight against the Giantess as the champion of Demeter when she died. But she needs to live because it's not her time. I mean that literally; she was not supposed to die when she did. She's from the future, and her time to die has been set in the summer of 1992. Her fight is far from over, and she needs to come back so that she can later return to her own time and die when she is supposed to."

The deafening silence that followed cut right through his soul. The two gods took a long look at one another – Nate believed they were talking to each other telepathically. He was certain that wasn't an ability none of the gods possessed – they may just have the same idea. They turned their heads back to the mortal.

"Do you love her?" Persephone asked him.

"I do," Nate said, nodding. "I really do. But that's not the point here. she does need to go back for familial reasons. She marries someone in the future and one of her descendants will be a great hero. her importance to the timeline cannot be overstated." Nate did not clarify whether he was talking about Mari, Kuasa or Amaya with the last sentence. And he did inflate the actual importance to the timeline – yes, she was important to the near future, but there was no telling how impactful her life was to the far future.

There was a pause again. This time, it was not as deafening or stressful as before. Eventually, Hades spoke again.

"I merely rule the dead; I do not reap souls and I cannot return them to their mortal bodies." Nate felt his hope sink with every new word spoken. "But I can speak with Thanatos and ask him to restore her."

A huge burden fell off his shoulders. He felt lighter, like he could breathe more freely again. He sighed in relief. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"Nathaniel," Hades said and he immediately grasped the mortal's attention again. "This is but a one-time-only agreement. You nor your friends are allowed to come here for such a request. And remember; a soul for a soul. The trade will happen when the fighting is done. Do you understand?"

There lay a certain weight on this question. The answer, no doubt, was just as heavy. Without hesitation, Nate nodded his head in determination.

"I understand." It was a promise, an oral agreement to an unbreakable contract, and Hades and Persephone treated it as such. So did Nate.

"When you leave my realm, there will be a coin in your pocket," Hades said. "Place it on your friend and her soul will be returned."

Nate nodded again, and briefly took a bow before them.

"Thank you," he once again said. He turned his back to them and walked away at three times the speed he used when he walked into the temple. His footsteps echoed as he walked through the doors. When they closed behind him, he sighed in relief and a smile came to his face.

Amaya was going to live.

But at what cost?


	25. The Giant

The climb was short and intense. The Legends – or rather, Constantine – believed their Giant was at the top of the hill. The slope was steep and the climb did not seem to come to an end. Still, when the slope became a little less steep and the forest around them grew more densely, they found a man lying under a lonely tree.

This man was lying on his back and his reed hat covered his face. His hands were resting on his stomach and his left legs crossed his right one. The Legends quickly noticed the man and remained relatively quiet when they pointed him out. It seemed he was holding a siesta in the shadow of the tree. Except that between three and five PM wasn't the regular time when people did hold their siesta, according to many of the Legends.

The group collectively decided to wake up the man and talk to him. There was a chance he had seen the Giant walking around from his current comfortable position. The Legends walked up to him, but it was a pain to wake up this man.

"Hey!" John shouted into the man's ear. The man promptly jumped up; his hat fell on the ground. He picked it up and placed it back on his head before lifting his fists and looking at the group of strangers warily. John and the others were unimpressed – this was a big, slow man with sloppy clothes that screamed 'homeless guy'. Still, that was no reason not to be cautious.

"Who're you?" the man shouted. "What are you doing on my farm?"

The Legends frowned and glanced at one another, many thoughts crossing their minds.

"You're in the nature reserve, mate," John broke the news to him. A surprised and confused look came to the man's face.

"Really?" the farmer glanced at the environment and nodded. He too now saw that he wasn't on his farm anymore. "I hadn't noticed."

"You didn't notice walking uphill?" Zari asked him – it seemed to be something you would remember doing. The man shrugged nonchalantly.

"I was drunk," he said. Mick nodded, in a way that would suggest that he once was in the same place this farmer was now. Nobody doubted Mick got wasted that way.

"You climbed this high?" Sara then asked. Surely someone couldn't climb this hill in one sitting in a drunken haze.

"Very drunk," was the man's response, followed by a somewhat proud nod.

"While you were walking, did you happen to see a Giant?" Ray then asked. The farmer slowly turned his head to Ray and looked at him as if he was crazy. Ray could interpret the answer by the look on the farmer's face alone.

"Not that drunk," the farmer said. He had not seen a Giant walk around the nature reserve. Ray shrugged – someone had to ask that question, but they all expected to hear a semi-positive answer: 'Yes, I saw a Giant, he's right over that hill there!' Or maybe even: 'No, but I saw this impossibly tall tree over there.'

"Okay," Sara nodded. "Thank you for your help." The Legends walked away from the farmer, who glanced suspiciously at them. He did not exactly trust these random sober people who'd walked into the reserve. Still, the farmer shrugged his shoulders and made his way down the hill, presumably back to his farm.

After they'd walked away from the strange farmer on the kill, Constantine turned his head in the direction of the farmer and stared suspiciously as he walked away from the group. Sara tried to stop John from staring, but that did not work. John then turned his head back to the group and stopped them.

"It's him," he said in a serious tone.

"What?" Zari said in a confused but calm tone.

"No way!" Ray exclaimed with a shocked expression on his face, while Nora did not say anything at all.

"How can such a small guy be a Giant?" Mick wondered out loud. Giants, in Greek mythology, were at least thirty feet tall – that was five to six times a normal person. Such a length could not be easily disguised and he suspected the Giant was lying somewhere around the trees, where one of his fingers could be mistaken for a thick log in the middle of the forest.

"It's a disguise," John continued. "How else could he have gone unseen all this time? Don't tell me he's an ordinary farmer, because he's not."

John turned to the farmer again. The man seemed to be keen to leave the nature reserve and return to his farm. John extended his arm and cast a spell before any of the Legends could stop him.

Some Legends believed it might be a malevolent spell that was cast too quickly based on assumptions hastily made. However, John had cast a spell that detected illusions and briefly removed them. For just a moment, that farmer turned into a thirty-one-foot-tall Giant with long hair and a greasy appearance.

Everyone stared at the sudden appearance and their jaws dropped to the ground.

"How is this possible?" Mick muttered under his breath. He and the others came to the realization this was only the first time they would face a Giant – there still was the Giantess Periboea, who would be a similar size and possibly more aggressive than this Giant.

"I don't know," John responded. "I'm not a Greek mythology expert. It seems he shrunk himself to our size to come by."

There was one disadvantage to the spell – the Giant Clytius noticed this sudden shift as well.

When John's spell wore off – almost immediately after being cast – the Giant turned to face the Legends again. He took one step towards them. At least, that's what it looked like; they couldn't see it from this distance. Still, Clytius took this step and shed his illusion before his foot hit the ground again. He revealed his full form to them and anyone else who might be looking on.

It was a strange sight. At a glance, he looked menacing with his hardened skin, long red hair and enormous length. The Legends themselves barely reached the Giant's knee, if they were to stand next to one another. His face itself was terrifying as well, with an uneven set of yellow teeth and sunken eyes that would glare at trespassers in any normal situation.

But this wasn't normal. Clytius seemed mad, annoyed even, and his sigh sent a warm breeze with a horrible scent their way. The Legends almost fainted because of the strong smell.

"Leave now," he said in a not-so-threatening tone. "You don't want to do this."

He was more annoyed than angry about the situation. He did not want to fight them and was giving them a chance to run. That was a completely different image from the one Nate and John had presented of this creature, which was supposedly a great fighter that did not back down from any challenge, that especially liked eating humans and thwarting the gods – now Clytius had a chance to do both and he declined.

This did not necessarily throw off the Legends, but they did know Clytius had to be captured – but if he wasn't doing anything wrong and only seemingly lived his life out here without getting into too much trouble, according to Gideon, then did they have to do this?

John did not fall for the 'act' Clytius put on. He still looked as determined as always, his gaze on the Giant's ugly face the entire time. With all his might – not even giving the Giant an answer beforehand – he cast another spell, one that was longer than the previous one, one that required more arm and hand movements, one he almost shouted once it came to an end.

Clytius did not hear John cast the spell. Only right before it hit him, he noticed something was off. He had no time to dodge the spell as it hit him right in his chest. It stunned him and should have knocked him out upon impact. It did make the Giant fall over forward – in the direction of the Legends – and he remained on the ground.

The Legends hiked the direction of the Giant John had stunned. Clytius somehow managed to land on his back despite falling forward.

"I might be able to shrink him to our size," John said when they almost reached the Giant again.

"Really?" Ray asked. Every time he was amazed at how much John could do with his magic. And when he thinks he's seen it all, John pulls something else out of his sleeve. That man never ceased to amaze Ray.

"Yes," John said. When the Legends looked at him, as if expecting something more, he gave them that something more. "Haven't I mentioned? The goddess of magic has elected me to be her champion. It comes with new perks and stronger magic."

"Congratulations," Zari said in a flat tone. It would have been nice to know this beforehand. Then the question popped up: when did Hecate name him her champion? Where did she fit into John's explanation?

John performed the complicated spell in ancient Greek. The Giant shrunk in size until he was the size of his human farmer persona. They had to walk a little bit further to reach him again, but that wasn't too far anymore.

They finally had the Giant pinned to the ground. After John had done his work, he knelt next to Clytius' right arm. Zari believed she heard him mutter another spell under his breath. When she turned her head to the demonologist, she did not see him doing anything that would raise suspicion. He remained seated on his knees and had his eyes fixated on the Giant, who was waking up.

At first, Clytius was just confused. When he realized he could no longer move, he struggled to free himself from the binding spell John had placed on him, turning and twisting his body – especially his right arm, where John was kneeling – but to no avail. The Giant remained on the ground and panicked.

"No!" he said. "No, please! Don't do this! Don't send me back there."

Back there. The Underworld, the prison of death he had escaped from. Was it truly that bad down there that he didn't want to go back?

"Give us one good reason why we shouldn't," Sara said. She stood at the Giant's left side. He moved his gaze from his right wrist to the captain of the Legends. When she looked into his eyes, she saw something she hadn't seen before in any Fugitive's eyes. Clytius was genuinely afraid of what might happen to him – he was terrified.

"I have information," he immediately responded. This sudden reaction raised a few eyebrows and had some Legends exchanging glances.

"You would betray your own kind?" Nora asked and her that one moment, she kind of felt connected to the Giant trapped in a human-sized body. Of course, there weren't many similarities between them, but she could recognize herself in his current situation. If her father was still around and evil, she would betray him in a heartbeat. Not to evade capture or death, but from the goodness of the heart he had tried to corrupt.

Slowly, the Giant nodded his head. "It's better than going back to that terrible place." He did not look away from Sara while he spoke.

"What do you know about the Giantess?" Sara asked.

"Periboea…" Clytius began. His gaze was unfocused now; it seemed he was trying to remember who she was, or maybe he was trying to focus on the information. "She wants to destroy the world. She plans to bring Destruction into the world. It's a monster, it's a mess, and it will be the beginning of the end of the world. She'll break out every one of the family. She's going to… she's gonna…"

Clytius was physically unable to continue. His face had grown sickly pale. He coughed a little and groaned loudly. At the same time, John finally moved for the first time since the Giant had woken up. While he stood up, Zari's earlier suspicions were confirmed. The Giant's wrist had been cut and some blood still flowed out of it. most of it had been caught in a large jar that John must've conjured up, which John had already sealed. John himself had drawn the knife that cut the wrist and which he now dropped to the ground. If he had planned to hurt Clytius in any other way, he did not go through with that.

"John," Zari said, looking at him. "What are you doing?"

John didn't answer. He either had not heard it or he deliberately ignored the Legend. He tightened his grip on the jar filled with Giant's blood and glanced at the different Legends. They were not happy about his actions. Everyone was shocked and Mick probably wanted to set something on fire, which could be him. He could not convince them he was certain of his actions, especially because he didn't go through with the possible murder of the Giant.

"John?" Sara said, hoping he would tell them what was happening. But he was too far gone to consider telling them what was going on in his head. He could not back down now and wasn't going to let the Legends talk him out of it. He already had the blood on his hands and Astra's afterlife depended on it. He could make it up to them later.

"I've got to go," he responded. Not even a second later, he turned around and ran away from the Legends.

"You stay with the Giant, I'll go after him," Sara said as she was already chasing John. But Mick did not stay; he followed her. She did not send him back; maybe the two of them could be enough to overpower John, if he stopped running from them and decided to stop them in some way or another.

Fortunately for them, John did not seem to have his head in the game. He stumbled over a wayward tree root and nearly dropped the jar, but he caught it right on time again. While he found his footing again, Sara had her batons ready while Mick aimed his gun at John. Mick glared at the demonologist.

"Put down the jar," Sara calmly said. "Whatever is going on, we can help you." And even if they couldn't, they could figure out what John's problem was.

"You can't help me," John responded, shaking his head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Maybe we can," Sara continued, taking one step closer to him. "But we only can if you tell us why you're doing this."

Whether John considered telling Sara and Mick what had led him to collecting the Giant's blood, it was taking too long for Mick's liking. Mick fired the gun and John quickly fired a spell back at them, sending both Mick and Sara flying through the air. They landed rather painfully and when they stood back up, John Constantine was long gone.

"Damn it!" Sara exclaimed. She and Mick could not follow him anymore, and so they returned to the Giant and the other Legends. Zari, Ray, and Nora had stayed behind at Sara's commands, so they could take care of the Giant who was going to reveal more secrets about Periboea's plans.

The Giant was still pinned to the ground. The blood had already dried up and clotted, but John had tapped too much from him. Clytius stared off in the distance and did not move even an inch. Zari, Nora, and especially Ray's facial expressions were enough to know they had bad news.

"He's dead," Ray said. If they had a white blanket available to them, he would've used it to cover the body with.

"Did he say anything else?" Sara asked. "The location and time or something?"

Ray shook his head. "He didn't." Their one chance of getting any inside information about the Giantess' plans was dead and probably on his way back to Tartarus. Hopefully, the gods were kind enough to let them know where they needed to be and what they best prepare for. There would be a monster, if they were to believe Clytius, but that was still too vague to construct a concrete plan of attack around.

"What was that all about?" Zari then asked. John's behavior and actions raised a lot of still unanswered questions.

"We don't know," Sara said. "He wouldn't say."

"He doesn't usually do this, right?" Nora wondered. She had no prior experience with John Constantine except hearing of his reputation through everyone – mostly Ray – who spoke about him.

Ray shrugged. "It's John. We never really know what he's going to do."

Nora did not know whether this was supposed to be comforting or not.


	26. Promises broken

John shouldn't have had to run. He could have told them he was going to need his blood for research purposes, that he was a little too eager and drained too much. He could have told them the truth; that it would free Astra. He could have just not taken the blood in the first place, but Astra's afterlife was on the line. He could not let her down again. He was not going to let her down again. Unfortunately, this action made the Legends less likely to trust him in the future again or at all. When this whole ordeal was over, he'd explain the situation to them. He owed them the explanation. But not now.

At long last, John reached the entrance of the Underworld he had exited from earlier and started his descent down. it was one steep ramp going ever down, making twists and turns along the way. John could have taken a walk all the way down, but he could impossibly wait any longer and nearly ran. The sooner he was done with this, the better.

Only when the ground started to be less steep and more even again did John walk. Another ten minutes and he was right back in the room he had been kept in, a room at the very edge of Tartarus, where Apate and Hecate were waiting for him. Hypnos wasn't present again. John could not see Hypnos as anything but a lazy prick who rarely showed up when he was supposed to – if Hypnos had been asked to be here, that is.

"Here's your Giant blood," John said and he carelessly tossed the jar with blood to the goddess. Hecate reacted quickly, bolting forward and catching the jar right on time. Apate did not move a muscle and idly watched John while Hecate raced to catch the jar.

"Careful!" Hecate scolded John. John was unimpressed and frowned at the way Hecate cradled the jar as it if was a baby. He understood the concern, but cradling the jar was strange.

"You came back," Apate said. John turned his attention to the personification.

"Of course I did." How could he not return? He did not like the Underworld, but he would gladly return now Astra could have a more pleasant life. It was an opportunity he could not pass up.

"How was he?" Hecate asked him, her voice otherwise indifferent. John had quickly learned any emotions were directed towards their big plan and their jar of blood, their precious final ingredient.

"He wasn't very happy to see anyone," John said as he shrugged. He did at least try to stay away from any civilization for so long. He had not expected any guests and though hidden, he was found and murdered, returning him to Tartarus. As far as John knew, Clytius had done nothing wrong yet. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

"I will bring this to Periboea," Hecate said, glancing at Apate as she spoke. The goddess moved away from them and walked to the entrance, passing John and glancing at him in an intrigued way. John didn't know what was up with that glance and it made him feel a little uncomfortable. But that feeling left along with Hecate; it was now just him and Apate. The transaction was done. He held up his end of the deal; now it was up to Apate to do the same.

"Now it's your turn," he said, eyes on a relaxed and calm Apate. "Where is Astra?"

Apate nonchalantly motioned to the north wall. "Just a bit more to the north of here. In the underage section."

John took one step closer to the personification. "Bring her up." She only glanced at him and then shook her head, an inherently evil grin appearing on her face.

"No."

Damn it!

John shook his head in disbelief, anger, and annoyance. "You bastard! I should've known—"

"Yes, you should have." She moved closer towards him and grinned triumphantly. That was far from true at this moment, but Apate still believed in an imminent victory and the destruction of the world. "I am exactly like my brothers and sisters; a personification with a specific skillset. Could you guess what it is?"

But John didn't want to play her games. "You bitch." If he hadn't been beating himself up about actually believing her promise to free Astra from the Underworld, he may have been able to conjure up a better insult. Either way, Apate was not impressed.

"Not quite," she answered with a smug grin on her face that sickened John. "I might as well tell you now. My name is Deceit and I can make anyone believe anything I tell them."

That explained a lot.

"You used me," Constantine said. He had been such an idiot! Many alternative scenarios raced through his mind; he should've been able to detect the lies she told. Even if she was Deceit, he should've known. He shouldn't have taken up the offer. He shouldn't have taken the bait so easily. He was to blame, even if it literally was in Apate's nature to lie and deceive anyone she came across.

"Don't take it personally," Apate said. "I do this all the time."

"Do you, now?" John answered, his anger still building up inside of him. he was about to reach his boiling point and needed to vent his emotions and especially his fury. Luckily, Apate was still around and it looked like she was not going to leave any time soon.

"Quite clever," John said, a grimace appearing on his face and his glare directed at Deceit. "But you have made one big mistake."

Apate frowned, but he was still amused by the situation. "Which is?" She may not be oblivious to his rage, but she did not feel the energy of magic racing through John's body. After all, he was Hecate's champion. That title alone and her gifts to him made him more powerful than he had ever been. Up until now, he hadn't put serious thought into using his power-ups to their full extent, especially since he had no time to be familiarized with them before he joined the Legends and later fled with the blood. But here, they may just burst out in a fit of passion, all while Apate was too busy celebrating a victory and ignoring the low threat level of this mortal.

"You should not have told me," he responded. The thought of Astra, still all alone in a harsh and cruel environment, was enough to unleash his wrath. He had no idea what he was doing, but he was well aware of what was going on at the same time. Hand and arm movements he had never done before in that sequence came naturally and the words escaped his mouth. Before he knew it, dual fire snakes sprung on either side of him, almost as tall as the room, each one controlled by one of John's hands, each one hungry for destruction.

Apate had no time to think of any countermeasures – she had none to begin with – and she stood there powerless and terrified as the flame snakes feasted on her. Her screams were inhuman and loud and went through flesh and bone, but John held the snakes together by pure willpower. He could not care less about her and enjoyed watching her burn.

What he had conjured exhausted him, drained him of all his power. He almost fainted. At that moment, the flame snakes dissolved into nothingness. Apate lay on the ground while her body was covered in second- and third-degree burn wounds. As John caught his breath, she stirred – a personification could not easily be killed, if at all, and they did not just die as Giants could.

John stood up and walked out of the room. His footsteps echoed in the room and hallways, still clearly audible to Apate. He left her, with nothing to do but to stare at the ceiling and taking the pain like the goddess she was, shouting at the man who burned her so badly it would take centuries to recover.

"I will make your life hell, John Constantine!"

John did not care about that threat – his life was a living hell already, anyway, without the Greeks giving any input. He ignored the words and he ran.

John ran and ran and did not stop to think. He could not run quickly on the steep ramp, but he did keep a considerable pace. He walked until the sun shone on him again. Back above the ground, he fell over from exhaustion.

_What a ride!_

He eventually sat upright but did not move. He pulled a cigarette from his coat and lit it.

There, sitting on a mountaintop with a small semi-modern city under him, far away from the influences and mind games of Hell, his mind finally cleared and his mind wandered off to reflect on what he had done.

He had allowed himself to be played by old deities – something he had never so willingly allowed before. The mention of Astra had made him weak. Yet, if they hadn't lied to him and if they had transferred Astra from Hell to Heaven, he wouldn't have regretted bringing them the Giant's blood. Either way, he'd helped speed up the process of creating a new monster capable of destroying the whole world. If it was created before anyone could stop the process, the world was going to be in a lot of trouble.

He stood up and descended the mountain. It was about time he told the Legends what he knew about this plan.


	27. Resurrection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a day late. I was so busy, I forgot to upload. Here's the chapter now.

Nate could not wait to return any sooner to the Waverider. Even though the jumpship traveled at high speed and even though the jumps were quick and swift, his impatience was starting to act up with every passing second. He could not keep still, not even as the jumpship connected with the Waverider. He paced up and down before the door and waited until it was safe to exit. At long last, after a little too long, he came out of the jumpship and marched towards Amaya's room.

Within seconds, Wally walked beside him with a worried and annoyed look on his face.

"Where the hell were you?" he asked in such a way that Nate could pick up he wouldn't easily forgive Nate for what he's done, even if it wasn't harmful in any way.

Nate did not answer. Maybe he did not even hear the question or anything else Wally may have said. he only had one thought in his head: get to Amaya and save her. he was so close now, only minutes away, maybe even less, from bringing her back to life. He did not notice how Wally sped off and returned to Nate soon afterward.

Nate stepped into Amaya's room and walked up close to the corpse. The doors were still open and she was still laying on her bed. Nate placed his hand in his pocket and felt the cold gold coin that Hades had placed there. He took it in his hand and briefly glanced at it. This is it.

"What are you doing?" Wally asked him, genuinely confused. Behind the speedster, Mick and Sara walked into the room as well while the other Legends were on their way to the brig, too.

"I'm bringing her back," Nate said and he placed the coin on Amaya's forehead before taking a couple of steps back. Only for a few seconds, nothing happened.

After this, the coin melted away quickly and disappeared into Amaya's forehead. It briefly illuminated Amaya as if she was a source of light. As soon as this light disappeared, Amaya regained some color, opened her eyes, took a deep breath and sat upright. She placed her hands on her shoulders where the Harpy had gripped her, but they were gone. The coin had healed the wounds, too, and had taken away the pain.

Amaya lived.

The other Legends were shocked and so was Nate. He had placed so much hope into this crazy plan with the belief that it was going to work but he still could not believe he actually did it. This defied everything he thought he knew about the world. This cemented his belief in the gods and their divine powers, which he - in a superstitious way - had believed in. And the fog that had clouded his mind since Amaya's death was lifted.

Wally was the first to move. He walked over to her and, while she stood again, they hugged. If they had exchanged some words, Nate did not hear it. The other Legends who were present also greeted Amaya in amazement and pure happiness, even Mick.

And then Amaya looked at Nate.

The eyes he loved were on him, only on him, and her smile was the brightest. Nate did not move an inch;  _she's back_. He could only stare at her in shock and disbelief of his own miracle. He had stood guard by her body for twenty-four hours. He had carried her body on board, he had tried to save her on the battlefield. She had been legally dead for more than twenty-four hour and now, she was back again.

The clouds had lifted, his mind had returned to him and berated him about this crazy plan of his.

Amaya had a second chance now, but it was not natural.

And he was the cause of this.

Suddenly, being in her presence made him feel uncomfortable. Before he could formulate a plan on how to deal with this, he turned his back and left the room. his action had had a big impact on the natural order, but he couldn't see it, blinded by his love for her. All the while a voice called in his ear; this is not natural.

Nate returned to his room.

* * *

Well, that went completely unlike how he had imagined it would happen. He had imagined every scenario, but him freezing and being overwhelmed with a strange sense of guilt about disturbing the natural order was not one of those scenarios. Even now, sitting in his room, he was still shaking and breathing rigidly.

As he sat on the bed, he seemed to finally look at what he had done with a clear mind and in the end, did not regret it. he had brought Amaya back to life and thus, he messed with the natural order to bring her back to life. Time might have found a way, in the long run, to bring her back without his involvement, but they would never know now.

That goddess – the not-quite-goddess – had tried to warn him. Philotes, wasn't it? She had asked him whether he was certain about his course of action. She cautioned him not to go, instead of pressing on. He had answered yes and she did help him out with his journey after he had made his decision. So, what was up with that?

Nate took a deep breath. That random goddess was not to blame for his reckless behavior, he was. his grieving mind was, as well as the crazy idea that came from it. How could he have allowed himself to go on this journey and mess with something he shouldn't have messed with. And now, he was going to pay the price for his decision. Still, it did not mean he regretted saving Amaya. It was a stupid way to do it, but he stood by it.

"Nathaniel," a familiar female voice said. Nate looked up and the goddess was back. Her dark hair lay upon her shoulders and her tunic reached to her ankles. Nate stood up. "Philotes."

"Please," she said. "Phil."

"Okay then, Phil," Nate repeated. Her hands were clasped together and her smile was sad, her gaze lingering on Nate. somehow, it made him feel rather uncomfortable. "I don't mean to be rude, but what are you here for?"

"I'm here for you," Phil answered and Nate frowned.

"For me?" At that moment, he feared for his life. He hasn't had nearly enough interactions with her or her family to figure out exactly what she wanted, or even whether she had good or bad intentions.

"Isn't it clear? I did not come here for Mick," Phil said, genuine confusion on her face. She seemed to assume that Nate would know that her choice to appear before him was the clearest indication she chose him. After a couple of moments, Phil continued in a softer tone. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nate said, the words just slipping out of his mouth without giving them much thought. Why wouldn't he be fine? He saved Amaya. He brought back a champion, and now they had a bigger chance of finding and fighting the Giantess again.

"That's not an answer," Phil said. She came to him and sat down next to him on the other side of the bed, maybe to make the situation a bit less formal. This way, Nate did not have to look at her when he stared forward and it may make the conversation a little easier for him.

"How are you feeling?" Phil asked. "These must have been rough days for you."

"I'm… I'm tired. Happy. I feel like… like I want to get this over with." The sooner they won the fight against the Giantess, the sooner everyone on the timeship could pick up their old lives again. It was about time they could leave this Greek chapter of their lives behind them.

"You have a big heart, Nate," Phil said. "I can appreciate that. but it is dangerous to make deals with Hades. Since before Orpheus, he never lets souls leave so easily. Do you know what you got yourself into?" Her voice was pressing. She asked the question as if it was one of the most important questions she had ever asked. Nate nodded in response.

"Yes, I do," he said. He wouldn't make a deal not knowing what the terms were. He looked sideways at the goddess, who looked straight ahead. "Look, Amaya needs to live. She needs to go back home when it's over. She is a part of history and can't be missed."

"And you can?" she asked, still not looking at him. He got a different vibe from her now; if he was correct, she was disappointed in him.

"I don't know," he said and shrugged. It's not like he could ask Gideon without alarming the other Legends. "Then again, time may correct it after a while."

Two minutes of silence followed this statement. Then, Phil got up and stood before him.

"Nathaniel Heywood," she said. Her voice became formal and clear, and she was looking at him again. "I hereby declare you my champion. May your compassion know no bounds, and may your friends be there in your darkest hour."

Nate was speechless for a solid minute. He had not expected this woman to appoint him as her champion. He had no idea if she was even allowed to do this.

"Thank you," he eventually stammered out. He was a champion. But still, there was this tiny detail that still bothered him. "But you're not an Olympian. What are you?"

It didn't look like she was too happy to share this particular information with anyone, but she still gave him the answer he wanted.

"I am a child of the Night. Among my brothers and sisters are such lovely concepts as Death, Deceit, Strife and Old Age." Finally, she turned her head to him again and he realized it was just her stance and the way she talked that made it seem like she was reluctant. "I am Friendship, the odd one out. I believe they are mostly on Mom's side, while I am one of the few who chooses the Olympians and humanity."

Nate nodded in response. What could he say? "That's… brave."

"It's common sense. Something they don't have," Phil said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Nate tried to imagine what like must have been like for her, a good personification in a family of bad ones, and he came to the conclusion he could never imagine this situation. He wondered whether she was alone or whether she had some friends among her younger family members and Olympians.

"I cannot offer you much," she then said. "But I do hope my gifts will be useful to you in the end." Nate interpreted those words as her way of saying that she was going to have to leave soon. She also slightly turned to the door, another clear sign she couldn't stay for much longer.

"It's on honor to be your champion, Phil," Nate said, genuinely proud Friendship had chosen him. That did not take away from him wondering why the Olympians hadn't chosen him. Though, maybe she was just first. Maybe Ares or Hephaestus would've come along the next day.

"Please don't do any stupid things, Nate. They do need you," Phil then said. In the end, she did succeed in her goal: to make Nate smile a little and to take his mind off of what he's done a little.

"I'll try," he said. Even if he did not know what qualified as 'stupid' and what they would encounter along the way that he could mess up.

"I hope this conversation helped to calm you down," Phil said. Nate nodded – he did not realize it throughout the conversation, but it had calmed him down. that was nice. His head was cleared, his worried temporarily forgotten and he wasn't trembling anymore.

"It did."

"You're welcome. And good luck." She shot him a wide smile and nodded once. "Goodbye, Nate."

"Goodbye," Nate said. Phil turned around and walked away towards the door. During this walk, she vanished. Nate watched her until she was gone completely and then he sighed. Maybe he shouldn't lock himself away in his room. It was time to face what he's done.

But Nate didn't go far after he stood up. Before he reached his door, it already opened up and revealed Amaya, standing in the doorway. She was looking at him; she knew. why else would she be giving him that disappointed look? Why else would she keep her arms folded and her general posture moderate?

"Nathaniel."

"Amaya."

But neither of them could help it. Nate took two steps towards her as Amaya relaxed and unfolded her arms. He took her in a warm embrace, burying his face in her shoulder while Amaya held him close. Her living still maybe not be natural, but this felt good. This felt nice.

They eventually both pulled away and Nate looked at her with fondness. This was right. He brought her back and that was the best feeling in the world.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her. What was it like, dying and then coming back to life? Did she remember? He had walked down the road of the dead as well, but it couldn't have been the same as experiencing it.

Amaya shrugged. "I'm fine." The small smile that had appeared while she was speaking disappeared and she looked him dead in the eyes, worry in her own. "Nathaniel, what did you do?"

He opened his mouth a couple of times before he found the right words to say. "I… you couldn't be dead. I had to save you."

"You didn't have to," she said in a soft voice, shaking her head. In response, Nate shook his own. She was wrong. Someone had to do something, anything – it just so happened to have been him.

"You're needed in Zambesi. Without you, there is no Mari or Kuasa or anyone else protecting your country." He paused. Should be spare her the details of his visit? Should he tell her the terms of his deal with Hades? The words left his mouth before he could properly think about them. "I visited Hades and convinced him to give you your soul back."

Amaya's eyes widened and she raised her eyebrows. She stared at him for at least ten seconds before she finally found the words to express her shock. She may be open-minded towards many solutions, but Nate visiting the God of the Dead was not a scenario she had thought of.

"You went to the Underworld?"

Nate nodded. "It's possible, if you know where the doors are."

Amaya shook her head once. There was nothing Nate wouldn't do for her, wasn't there? "You shouldn't have."

"What else could I do?" Nate said, shrugging, a hint of the despair he had felt when she passed away shining through. She had to live, no matter the cost. "The world needs you. Probably more than it needs me."

Amaya placed a hand on his shoulder, on which he promptly placed his own.

"It needs the both of us," Amaya said. she glanced at him once from head to toe and then she finally allowed herself to smile at him again. "Thank you for bringing me back."

A sad grin spread across Nate's face. "You're welcome."

Amaya gently pulled her hand back, Nate let her. "But don't ever do something like that again," she said, using a semi-strict tone. Nate nodded in obedience.

"Okay, I won't."

They said nothing, but Nate pulled her back into a hug and he closed his eyes. Amaya was back; he finally shook off the disbelief a part of his mind still held on to. She was back and after the conversation, it no longer felt unnatural.

This was good.


	28. Appeasement

Sara distanced herself from the group by walking to the cargo bay. She still couldn't quite believe it – Amaya was alive again, and it had been Nate who brought her back. She was happy, of course, but she also feared the consequences. Amaya didn't act like Sara had acted after she'd been brought back; then again, Nate hadn't taken the body to dump it into an active Lazarus Pit. He had instead gone to the Underworld and bargained for Amaya's soul. And even though Sara didn't know much about it, she was certain this did not just happen without getting away scot-free.

So, Sara was worried about what the future had in store for the Legends, specifically for Nate and Amaya. The Captain's office was the perfect place to retreat to, where she was ready to drink a good glass of scotch. Before she could bring the glass to her lips, John Constantine walked onto the bridge and looked at her, hands in his pockets and his gaze on Sara.

"John." Her voice was cold. She put the glass away and folded her arms. She hadn't asked him how he came here – he must have found a way, otherwise he would not be standing in front of her. John pulled his hands out of his pockets and approached Sara, but he made sure not to enter the captain's office or even step on the stairs. He wouldn't want the captain to hit him for the stunt he pulled with Clytius.

"Hello, Sara," he said. He hadn't put his signature smug smile. It seemed more appropriate to keep it off of his face for the time being and keep a serious face. it really did look like Sara wanted to punch or kick him, but Sara still had some restraint and she did neither.

"What the hell, John?" Sara asked him. It wouldn't be out of place if she shouted at him – but again, she didn't. "What did you do back there?"

"I had the opportunity to free Astra," John said. he did not need to provide the backstory – Sara already knew about Astra and the vaguest details of what had happened in Newcastle, as well as the tremendous guilt that pushed him to do things that would lead to Astra being free – or, at least, her going to heaven.

"Someone kidnapped me. They wanted me to steal Giant's blood for the Giantess. In exchange, they would free Astra. They didn't keep their word."

"And you believed them?" Sara said, an incredulous tone in her voice. John – of all people! – should not fall for the deception of some Greek deity that was planning to exploit him.

"They made me believe it," John said. Sara had no idea – she did not know just how powerful these personifications were. She did know the level of power he had received so he could take the Giant's life and blood, the power he later used to burn and scar Apate. John explained the tricks Deceit had used on him and what had happened to him in the Underworld to make Sara at least understand why he was so easily fooled by the personification of deceit.

"I want to make it up to you. I may have something you need," John said. he dared to take one step on the stairs, not taking his eyes off of Sara, still expecting to get a well-deserved hit in the face.

"Which is?"

"The Giantess' complete plan."

* * *

Ten to fifteen minutes later, every Legend was standing on the bridged, centered around the console or sitting on the steps to the captain's office. Sara had rounded everyone up to listen to what John could share with them. This way, they did not lose time relaying his information to one Legend at a time. Some were bitter about John killing the Giant as he was about to indulge information, and Mick generally glared at John every once in a while. John himself wondered where Wally, Nate, and Amaya came from since he hadn't seen them around when their friends were facing Clytius. He didn't blame them for not partaking and did not ask about it either. He had a story to tell.

And John told his story. This plan was pieced together, based on the pieces of information Hypnos, Hecate and Apate outright shared with him and implicit details he picked up along the way when they believed John was still unconscious and couldn't hear them.

"In short, the Giantess will want to create another Giant," Zari repeated the information as she understood it. That did not sound right – John had been speaking of Destruction, after all, and how Clytius' blood will bring it to life. But John nodded.

"She will try," John said and Zari nodded once in confusion. "We might be able to stop her before she can do that."

"Doesn't she have, like, twenty Giant uncles or something?" Ray asked him, but his gaze was on Nate. he still was the history and mythology expert in the group and was most likely to know this. Nate nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, she does." All known Giants were either her father (only two of them were officially related to her, according to Greek writers) or her uncles. Since each Olympian god or goddess, as well as some allies, could fight one, there had to be at least fifteen Giants, including Clytius.

"But it won't just be a Giant," Constantine then clarified. "It'll also be part monster, capable of destroying life as we know it. They now have all the right ingredients to start cooking it up, so we need to act quickly." Once it came into existence, it may be extremely hard to kill. Banishing it to the depths of the Underworld would be a suitable alternative, but who was to say it would work? John did not care it put Tartarus inhabitants at a disadvantage, but whether Destruction could choose to leave the Underworld – because if it could, they may need to think of a plan C.

"Then we'll stop it," Amaya said. Nate briefly glanced at her as she spoke, something that did not go unnoticed. John frowned a little. Something was going on between them, but he did not know what that was.

"We'll be able to kill it, right?" Nora asked the group in general. She has seen and fought some Greek monsters already, and had witnessed just how big a Giant could be, but she still had no idea how strong this monster John had described and whether they would be able to kill it, being part Giant and part monsters.

"We should be able to," Wally said as to reassure her.

"It can't be immortal," Nate guessed. "It's part Giant and it's just been proven champions are powerful enough to kill Giants. As for the monster part, it'd be strange if we weren't able to kill it."

"I don't doubt we'll be able to take care of it," Ray then said. "Both the monster and the Giantess."

"Speaking of the Giantess, she will be protected," John continued, ready to place new information before them. A large infodump usually never helped anyone right before a fight or when all of the information was important. "Hecate will be there, and Hypnos and Apate may, too."

"Who are they?" Mick asked, hands in his pockets and leaning disinterestedly against the wall. He may have been drinking if he had been able to stop by the kitchen.

"They are the goddess of magic and the personifications of sleep and deceit," John said without as much as giving it a second thought; as if this was the new normal. It was indeed the new normal, after everything they had been through. Mick just gave him a blank stare which could have been interpreted as him being done with the world and its logic.

"Right," Mick said and he looked away.

"We're fighting personifications," Zari said. She, too, was hesitant to believe such a thing existed, and whether they could even be fought. Constantine acknowledged her struggles and looked at her.

"They are, but they do have a very real body. We can punch them, and so can you if you want to." With that last remark, he glanced at Mick for a moment. The bald pyromaniac seemed to like that idea very much.

"Do you know where they are?" Sara finally asked him, having stayed silent the entire time until this moment. John nodded.

"They are going to be somewhere near the Acheron river, in a secluded and private area. They do not want any eavesdroppers or eye-witnesses around."

The Acheron was a river that ran through the Underworld. It was the river of Pain, one of the five rivers that flowed through the Underworld. What a nice place to create a world-destroying monster. Then they only needed to find out where exactly Periboea was going to be – the Acheron was also the name of a river that ran through Greece and it wouldn't be strange if that was the river where Periboea wanted to start an apocalypse.

"Let's ruin their evening, then," Sara said. "Gideon, keep an eye on the Acheron river. Let us know when you find something out of the ordinary.

"Of course, captain Lance." Sara looked at John again. She did not speak until he turned his head to her, too, which did not take long.

"Welcome back, John."

"Just get on with it," John replied, hands in his pockets and eyes scanning every Legend who came. With this announcement, the meeting was officially over and the Legends left the bridge, to prepare for the upcoming battle.

John took a page out of their book and returned to his old room to prepare as well.


	29. Calm before the storm

The Legends traveled to Greece, to a landscape that had started to look familiar to them, but which was decisively unlike anything they had seen so far. The Acheron River, the "river of woe", was one of the five rivers that flowed through the Underworld and the main location where Periboea would try to create Destruction. It coincidentally also was a touristic stream in the province of Epirus that flowed to the Ionian Sea, so it wasn't that hard to find.

According to John, the Giantess preferred to work when no mortals were around. She wouldn't stray too far from the river's source, but she would if it meant going further away from humanity's prying eyes. She could easily retreat to the nature of Tourla-Mougilla, a secluded area in which the Acheron was the lowest point of a valley neatly tucked in between two mountain ranges.

The Waverider landed at the end of a lonely road so that they would have to explore the beautiful nature of Greece themselves. This way, the Giantess would not see her coming. There was a mountain village nearby, so the reflector shields were up. Completely dressed up and ready for battle, they exited their ship.

"Alright everyone, listen up," Sara said. The Legends stood before her, complete and determined as they will ever be. Only champions stood before her; all of them had been claimed by a Greek deity. Even John, who was backed by Hecate for evil purposes. Even Nate, whose situation was peculiar because he was not the champion of an Olympian or even a god. And now, she was going to give them a little pep-talk.

If only she knew what to say…

She did not recite a speech of epic length. But she did speak her mind. "Everything we've done the past couple of weeks has brought us here – becoming champions and killing many different monsters. If we fail, the world as we know it will be destroyed. If we fail, we'll have condemned the planet to turn into a wasteland.

"So let's not fail! Let's go out there and finish the job that the Olympians gave us. Not for them—" she pointed at the sky "—but because we still need a planet to protect and these Greeks need to learn an important lesson: you don't screw around with the Legends."

Everyone reacted positively. Some nodded, Wally clapped a couple of times until he realized he was the only one and the sound slowly faded. Mick and John's faces were still stoic, but Sara knew they were more than willing to light up those bastards and to finally get some peace and quiet.

Sara did not need to tell them to follow her, or to go into the woods of Epirus. The group unanimously decided to follow the Acheron until they reached the Giantess and the cronies she may have brought along for the occasion and her protection.

There wasn't much chatter on their way. With each step they took, the gravity of the situation weighed harder and harder upon them. with every step, the situation became more tangible. The Giantess came closer with every step after the last one, but none of this discouraged them. They did wonder what would be awaiting them on the shores of the Acheron.

* * *

Nora was walking a little behind the group. She did not wish to walk among the Legends – she didn't feel comfortable enough around them yet to do so. this was the last time she was forced to walk with them. When this was over, she was free again. Free to do whatever she wanted, free to go to the places she needed to be. Free to be hunted by the Time Bureau again.

"Hey." Nora raised her head – she'd been so caught up in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed Ray had decided to join her at the end of the group. "Are you doing okay?"

Nora shrugged. "I don't know." How could she define 'okay' in this situation? There were at least five, but she could not explain any of them. Whatever the answers would have been, Ray would have nodded and told her it was okay to feel like that in this situation.

So, as predicted, Ray nodded. "That's alright," he responded. "Neither do we." They silently walked next to one another for a little while longer – such a sweet little while longer – before Ray opened his mouth again at the start of a potentially long ramble.

"So," Ray began, "the big endgame. Just one more fight and we're done with the Greek gods."

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Nora asked, turning her head and looking directly at Ray. This temporarily shut him up – hopefully, he wasn't going to ramble.

"I've talked with the others about this," he said, now speaking in a more solemn tone than before. "They had a strong opinion. Not everyone agreed. When all of this is over, you're free to go. We won't bother you anymore. And I'll put in a good word with the Time Bureau. With a bit of luck - a _lot_  of luck - you won't be a wanted criminal anymore. You might be able to start over. You could have a quiet life."

Now that was something she had not seen coming. How had he presented this idea with the Legends? Had he even consulted them at all or was he acting on his own accord and made it seem like he discussed it with his friend? Only the future could say whether this would actually work out. Whether she wouldn't have to hide from what basically was the time police.

"Thank you," she said, turning her head. "That's very kind of you."

"Just…" Ray sighed. "Just try looking for a better job. You are much more than a renaissance witch."

"You try finding a job when you're wanted. And when you don't even have an elementary school diploma," she countered. Up until that point, that was the only job she managed to find. It was the only job that did not at the bare minimum required her to have received a high school diploma. That, and fast food server at the local fast food joint. But serving food was not appealing to her in any way and after all that had happened, she should know how to convincingly play a witch.

"Then start studying," Ray suggested from the goodness of his heart. Nora did not like that idea. "I know it doesn't sound very fun, but in the long term, you won't have to be a renaissance witch again."

"Let's survive this first before you talk about school," Nora said. Ray nodded.

"Okay." And that was the end of that conversation.

During this conversation, the two of them had slowed down considerably – so much so that they had to improve their speed or lose the group. All they had to do was to follow the river, but Ray thought it was creepy and he would rather the Legends arrived as one front and not as 'main group' and 'those who fell back'. They made haste and rejoined the group.

In the middle of the group, Nate and Amaya were talking to one another. They weren't talking loud enough so that everyone could hear it, but they weren't trying to conceal what they were saying from the others either.

"So… how's Thys?" Nate eventually asked her.

"Do you really want to know?" she then asked in return. Do you want to know about the man who will be my daughter's father? Nate nodded.

"I do," he said. "If that's okay with you." If he was going to let her go again, he wanted to know what kind of person Thys was. With the stressful environment of Zambesi and the Chimera situation, Nate had no idea who Thys truly was outside of this stressful environment. He hadn't seen Thys in times of peace.

"I don't want to talk about that," Amaya said. She did not want two worlds to mix. Nate was the Legend from the future, Thys was her way home. She was glad this adventure brought Nate in her life once again, but she did not want to hurt his feelings by describing Thys in many positives.

Nate didn't ask about it further - he noticed how Mick inched closer towards the waters of the Acheron.

"Wait!" Nate yelled to draw Mick's attention. "I wouldn't touch the water if I were you."

Mick did not step away from the shoreline, but he did frown at Nate. "Why?"

"Is something wrong with it?" Zari wondered. Nate's warning to Mick

had also effectively halted and drawn the attention of all Legends.

"This is the Acheron," Nate said, pointing dramatically at the still peaceful and calm river. "The river of woe! It has a direct connection to the Underworld. If you value your life, you wouldn't even dip your little toe in it."

An uneasy silence fell over the group. Everyone eyed the water suspiciously; the idyllic river was now a source of uncertainty. Somehow, they all had the feeling that at any moment, a corpse could disturb the peace by bursting out of the water and making an effort to kill them. Even Mick felt this way; he backed away from the water but did not look away as he went there.

"Are you sure about that?" Amaya quietly asked Nate.

"It is called the river of woe," Nate repeated. "Honestly, I am not sure. But with these mythological creatures running free… I wouldn't dare to trust this river is still normal or safe."

Soon after this happened, the group continued on their way, with Sara and John walking a little ahead of the rest. He did not do this to keep Sara company – he wanted to see the supposed mastermind Hecate, Hypnos, and Apate had been working for and to finally find some peace in beating the Giantess in battle. And then he could go home, then he could avoid the Legends for a little while.

"Having second doubts?" Sara asked him. John shook his head once.

"No. Not even a little bit," he responded and kept his eyes on the road. There weren't any pathways right by the shore and they needed to keep an eye on the way ahead; the way through nature.

"What's on your mind?" Sara wondered as she briefly looked at him. There was something that bothered him; she just did not know what exactly this thing was. After the stunt he pulled, she was still a little wary of him. John sighed.

"The Giantess is out there," he said. "She knows we're coming, so she'll do anything in her power to make sure we will not reach her before she's finished what she started."

"Anything else?" Sara asked. She had the feeling John had not said the things he truly had wanted to mention before they eventually would find Periboea. Luckily, John was in a sharing mood.

"The personifications are the representations of basic needs and the worst aspects of a human being. They are very persuasive and can make you do anything, as long as it falls in their domains." He briefly paused – he still wasn't quite over being literally deceived by the personification of Deceit. "They're dangerous, probably immortal. They won't hold back."

"Then we won't hold back, either," Sara said. her gaze briefly crossed his. This shared moment strengthened both of them to keep marching on towards the Giantess.


	30. Trust me

After a long walk through the forests of the Acheron valley, the tree line receded to create some sort of beach with small pebbles spread across the beach from the shore to the tree line. On the far end, where the trees met the river again, stood the Giantess. She stood near a cauldron as big as a garden shed and added one more ingredient to it, a smug grin on her face.

John's face turned into a strong glare as he marched towards the enemy at such a pace that forced the rest of the Legends to pick up this pace as well. they had only eyes for her at that moment – the big villain, the one they had been trying to stop since the god Hermes appeared before them.

Two figures came out of the forest and stood purposely in the way of the Legends.

"Where do you think you're going?" the woman asked, her eyes predominantly on John. The Legends had no idea who they were, but John did. They could not be more different; the woman wore a dark purple tunic and had a small iron key hanging from her belt. Her raven black hair fell down her back and by the look on her face, she was one to patiently await her time to strike and appeared to not be in a hurry at all.

Her companion, on the other hand, was not as calm. His grey business suit contrasted the goddess' attire and his sunglasses obscured his eyes. He had a pale complexion, placed on the foreground where the dark glasses contrasted the near-white skin. Despite his nervousness about the situation, he smiled as if he was happy his food finally arrived. He did not look threatening – but John knew better.

"Who are they?" Sara asked on behalf of the team – they were aware of names, but they could not match them to the right face.

"She is Hecate, the goddess of magic," John explained. "Hypnos, Sleep personified." He quickly scanned the tree line, but there came no third person. Apate wasn't going to be coming today.

"Hecate?" Nate frowned as if he suddenly remembered some vital piece of information. "Isn't she supposed to be a good goddess?" Wasn't she worshipped by the people of Athens as a protector? During the first fight against the Giants, she sided with the Olympians - back then, she seemed rather neutral.

"Not anymore," John responded. She may have been 'good', but times can change. When even personifications take sides, it wasn't that big of a stretch that minor gods and goddesses reconsidered their allegiance.

"You'll have to go through us before you can reach the Giantess," Hypnos announced. His voice, the Legends thought, was soothing. They did not fall for it. Yet.

They wouldn't be able to face the Giantess as one group before Hecate and Hypnos were taken care of. Sara turned her head to the group and easily found Wally. If the others distracted Hecate and Hypnos, he could land the first blows and weaken the Giantess. She might even help, him, too.

In the meantime, Mick wasn't having the attitude of these mythological beings. He did not care they were at the very least ten times as powerful as he was – as long as they would burn by the time he was done with them.

"Let's do it, then!" he shouted. "There's more of us then there are of them!"

"I'd like to see you try," Hypnos taunted, his mouth turning into a sickening grin. Mick glared at the personification. He tightened the grip on his heat gun.

"Mick—" Sara shouted, but it was too late. The arsonist ran towards Hypnos, which forced the others to continue with him for his own protection. Wally luckily seemed to have the same idea Sara, albeit with one different detail. He grabbed Sara as well as Nora and rushed away with them while the other Legends would fight the two henchmen.

* * *

Six Legends would face off against either Hypnos or Hecate. For John, the choice was easy - he would face the woman who made him her champion and he couldn't wait to send her back to hell, battered and beaten, like he had Apate. His back-up consisted of Nate and Amaya; Zari and Ray had gone after Mick because he would be at a disadvantage if he faced Sleep on his own.

Hecate came a little closer and watched John, with an arrogant grin on her face. "You should know better than to fight the goddess of magic."

"Really?" John responded. "You should know better than to fight me. I crawled out of hell, multiple times now. I killed an angel. And I will kill you, too."

"No, you won't." Hecate shook her head. "You may be my champion, but I'm still more powerful than you will ever be." An evil grin appeared on her face. "Watch me."

A soft purple glow appeared around her fists. She opened her glowing hands and slowly raised them in the air.

Everywhere they stood, from the waterline to their feet, the earth rumbled; but the pebbles did not tremble and the water remained calm. Figures rose from the ground, as if they were compelled to climb right out of hell. They passed through the earth as if it was nothing but a thin barrier easily crossed. They were nothing more than dark brown and black masses of clay or another earthly element in a humanoid manner, one or two feet taller than the Legends. Their arms and legs seemed only attached as an afterthought - but were still dangerous nonetheless - and their eyes were hollow sockets with a purple light glowing inside of them. Brand new creations, ready for combat.

Nate scrunched his face as the creatures gained a clearer and more distinguishable form. He lacked the right terminology to give these monsters a proper name. But that did not matter - they were now vastly outnumbered and more were created with every passing second.

It all happened so quickly, too many were blocking Hecate from John's vision once he recovered from seeing them rise. Just hitting her with magic might not work either. He'd have to think of something else.

"Two can play that game," John muttered. He stepped forward and recited one or multiple spells in a language neither Nate nor Amaya understood. As a self-indulgent smile appeared on Hecate's face, the humanoid creatures marched forward, towards the enemy.

But more popped up from the ground; more came in from behind John. They did not have a purple glow in their eye-sockets, but a golden glow. And these creatures marched on as well, to obliterate Hecate's army. It might just work.

Yet, the scales were still tipped against them. John had started out late, compared to Hecate. There were too many monsters on her side, and they might still overwhelm them. John could impossibly catch up with Hecate, however much he would like to be able to do this.

"We've got to keep them at bay," Amaya said. Nate agreed wholeheartedly.

"I'll manage!" John responded stubbornly. Maybe he truly believed he would be able to do this on his own without anyone's help. Maybe he wanted to prevent Nate and Amaya from joining the fight by insisting he pulled the largest weight. Maybe it was because of their opponent and the role she played as one of John's jailors. Maybe he wanted to be able to say he defeated the goddess who appointed him to be her champion. It did have a nice ring to it.

But Nate and Amaya did not back down from a fight. John needed to get the chance to send the goddess of magic back to the Underworld. Being a goddess, she may not die as John would like, but a forceful journey back might weaken her and might make it harder for her to leave the Underworld for an unspecified amount of time.

Nate turned his skin to steel while Amaya called upon the spirit of a gorilla for strength. They charged and fought the lumps of clay with purple eyes, careful not to accidentally attack John's creatures. While they had a decent size, they were also very slow and easy targets. Each time one of them managed to hit Nate or Amaya, it was one powerful blow with a force that almost knocked out a normal person. But as Nate and Amaya destroyed more and more of the humanoid creatures, Hecate created more of them. Her arrogance about the situation made her grin like a madwoman. All the while, John was trying to keep up with the goddess of magic and made more creatures.

Something changed. They could feel it in their bones. Slowly, they noticed they were losing their focus. Their limbs were growing tired faster than usual. John struggled not to let his mind wander to keep his focus on killing Hecate and her monsters.

It had nothing to do with Hecate. It couldn't be.

John cursed out loud. Were their friends even fighting Hypnos or what?

* * *

Zari and Ray chased after Mick, who ran towards Hypnos. The personification seemed more amused than threatened by these three. Still, most of his attention went to the arsonist, who needed to be physically restrained by Zari and Ray to stop him from doing something stupid. In a cynical way, their behavior was kind of endearing. Oh well, that did not matter after today.

"I'm going to make you a one-time offer," Hypnos said. His words were strong enough to stop Mick from struggling against Zari and Ray. "Turn around, walk away. I will guarantee you'll live if you leave now."

"What?" Ray asked, frowning. If there was anything he had expected from today, this wasn't it. He looked at his friends – Mick had his furious eyes on Hypnos while Zari shook her head in disbelief.

"This must be a trick," she said. What purpose would this personification have by allowing some Legends to leave? Ray believed Hypnos was playing with them – as if this was just one big game for him.

Mick was likewise not persuaded by Hypnos' offer. Better yet, he was so keen on lighting this man aflame that he aimed and pulled the trigger before either Ray or Zari could stop him. The flames engulfed the personification for five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds. Ray and Zari could only watch in shock – it hadn't been a surprise, but it still was strange to watch someone burn while the victim did not scream or even move.

Satisfied with his actions, Mick took his finger off of the trigger. He expected the man to fall over and die. But if there was one thing he should have known after these weeks, it was that gods and personifications were not easily burned by ordinary fire.

Hypnos was still standing. Aside from some spots in his business suit that had been burnt away, he seemed to have been largely untouched. When he stared at the three Legends again, they felt uncomfortable in Hypnos' cold hard stare through the sunglasses, filled with rage and hatred. While Mick's fire had hardly hurt him, it did piss him off. Mick's brazen attitude had offended him.

"I gave you a choice," he said without raising his voice as he took off his glasses. "You really thought you could burn me? Kill me? You're dumber than I thought you'd be. Look and behold, the might Legends that killed the Minotaur and a Chimera." He scoffed. "What a bunch of losers."

With each word spoken, some kind of invisible shock waves were emitted. Unnoticeable at first, the Legends only felt it in their minds whenever one of those waves reached them. They could not do anything to stop these shock waves, but they were also a little frightened of the pale personification finally losing his composure. These shock waves were even enough to stun Mick, the tone of voice unsettling enough not to move against him.

Ray glanced aside for a moment. Hecate had just summoned tall clay figures to fight for her - John must have done the same. So far, these clay figures had not come over to them, but this could always change on a whim.

"You think you know me, but you don't," Hypnos continued. "I am a child of the Night. The husband of Relaxation. The brother of Death. I am Sleep and I am much more powerful than you people have ever given me credit for."

Hypnos raised his voice when he spoke the last words. The shock waves had grown in size, were harder to ignore. They had finally reached a substantial size that it affected them – each new wave made them more drowsy and sleepy. They hadn't realized until they started a chain of yawns. That uncomfortable feeling had also been sneaking upon them as a warning for what was to come, such as becoming too tired to fight. Becoming too tired to ever wake up again, even.

Zari called the winds and sent them to Hypnos, who stood tall like a sturdy tree in the middle of a hurricane. Not even the storm thrown at him could even make him unstable. Ray tried to fire his blasters, but his limbs were tired and he could not suppress a yawn. One of the blasts was fired into the sky. He also could not prevent himself from losing focus and falling over whenever he leaned back a little too much.

Mick just dropped his gun and ran towards the personification, now knowing flames wouldn't work and trying to get into a hand-to-hand fight. Hypnos easily avoided each of Mick's punches and eventually placed his hands on Mick's shoulders, pushing him to the ground. By that time, several waves had become one consecutive wave with different levels of intensity.

This could not be happening.

* * *

Wally had grabbed Nora and Sara and sped them away from the other Legends. Wally dropped them off close to Periboea and the cauldron she was brewing her destruction in.

Had she not been a Giantess, she wouldn't have looked very impressive. If she were human-size, she could have been a chubby short-ish brunette who liked to cook all of her dishes in the old-fashioned way.

Periboea barely looked up from her work. She just poured her uncle's blood into the cauldron, the final ingredient. Wally ran up to the cauldron and around it, in the hopes of knocking this thing over somehow. As this was going on, Sara glanced at Nora - hopefully, she would be able to help out, because Sara couldn't do much about the cauldron from the ground. Nora helped Wally with her telekinesis, pushing as hard as she could, but their combined efforts were fruitless. The cauldron did not fall over or even move an inch.

Wally stopped next to the ladies and shook his head. "I can't move it. It's too heavy."

"Of course it is," the Giantess said. She had a rough voice that wasn't exactly very feminine. "That would be too easy, now, wouldn't it?"

Yes, but why couldn't it be easy for once?

They needed to do something. The couldn't knock over the cauldron, so they had to beat the Giantess some way. Yet, she was intimidating with her length and strength – it wouldn't be easy fighting a Giantess. But they did it once before. They could do it again. Except that this one might struggle more and John was not available at the moment to knock her out, with his involvement in the fight against Hecate. They had to try.

Nora extended her arms and forced her powers around the Giantess while Sara, who had packed knives and other weapons – you never knew –, threw one of her knives at her. Wally sped up and approached but dared not to come too close before he was certain that whatever the women were throwing at the Giantess would not hit him (not that that would be visible with the naked eye either way).

Sara's knife was easily deflected - it a stab in the foot could be compared to the sting of an annoying mosquito or a needle - while Nora's managed to push her off-balance. Wally punched her a couple of times as well in several spots, but Periboea was still standing.

The Giantess was not happy with the brutality these mortals had shown. She had assumed they would be too weak or too intimidated by her race to even dare approach her or to go past Hypnos and Hecate. However, there was one thing the Giantess was completely oblivious to – these were the same Legends who have seen some weird shit before, Greek or otherwise; taking on a Giantess would be just another crazy adventure if they ever looked back.

That did not discourage Periboea from being passive and focusing on the job at hand. Her cauldron was large; it weighed as much as a mountain and her stew was almost finished – it just needed a little more time for the Giant's blood to properly mix with the brew and it was done. Just a couple more stirs and Destruction would come. Periboea just needed to make sure those pesky Legends weren't going to try something funny with her stew.

After what seemed like only a small break, Wally bolted towards the Giantess in a reckless move. He ran fast enough to run over her as easily as he would the side of a building. He maintained an irregular pattern and sometimes, with the kinetic energy he had gathered, threw a lightning bolt in her face, her stomach, her leg. Sometimes it worked and it disoriented her, sometimes it did not. The Giantess had a handful with him nonetheless and only increasingly became enraged by his attempts.

But even speedsters grow tired from time to time. Wally paused briefly near Nora and Sara, coming to a halt next to them. He panted loudly and placed his hands on his knees, bending over.

"Damn, this is hard." He said.

"Keep trying. We'll be right there," Sara said. Wally nodded. He wished he could've rested for a little while longer, but duty called. So he took some deep breaths and continued running around and over the Giantess to occupy her. In the meantime, Sara could try to figure out what to do.

She had no idea what to do.

"If this keeps up, we're not going to win this," Nora said. The Giantess was too strong and Wally only barely kept her distracted. The others were having a hard time as well and both the women and Wally were feeling Hypnos' power, too. Something needed to be done soon.

"There's gotta be a way to beat her," Sara said, her mind wandering off to her champion title. The gods assigned this job to them and blessed them with attributes that would help in baatle. She had no idea what the gods had offered her teammates, but whatever it was, it better kick in soon. Her own gifts – 'determination and a strong team' – did not seem to help much in this situation. Couldn't she have been blessed with extreme accuracy or the strength of a Giant?

"Any suggestions?" Nora asked. She was not going to keeping pushing and pulling at the Giantess with her telekinesis, since that would only make her stumble.

Sara shook her head. "I don't know." What could even help in this situation? What could turn the tide of the battle when the gods' blessings did not seem to work or help at all? "Maybe you tell me. The Queen of the Underworld did tell me we would need  _you_  specifically."

"Funny. Her husband told me the same thing about you," Nora confessed. After a moment of silence came the moment of understanding, and the women looked at one another. They were the champions of a married couple - their championship had been set up from the beginning, so it must have a specific purpose. But they did not know which purpose it was. Yet.

Sara found herself wishing that Hades would've picked another one of the Legends. It would be a better partnership than with Nora Darhk.

"What if we work together?" Nora then suggested.

"In what way?" Sara asked. It was a rather broad suggestion. "Should we throw rocks at her together."

"We're champions of Hades and his wife," Nora said, just saying her thoughts aloud. "They rule the Underworld together. I cheated death and you've come back from the dead before, so there's that link. They must have chosen us for a reason."

"Whatever that reason is, they would have benefited from telling us beforehand." At least Sara and Nora would have known what to do. At least they would have immediately been able to take steps and they wouldn't be losing so much time. They were still losing time. What could they do together that they couldn't do separately?

"Take my hands," Nora then said, extending her hands towards Sara. Taken aback, Sara glanced at it and took a step away from her in a reflex.

"What?"

"Trust me," Nora said, looking calm and determined and slightly nervous. "I don't know either, but we have to try something."

Sara stared at the hands hesitantly. She wasn't exactly happy to touch Nora, even if they were her hands, but something might still happen. Or not.

Something probably would happen. This was what her vision from Alkestis has been leading up to - she would hold Nora's hands, so she might as well do it. Without further hesitation, Sara took Nora's hands.

The power surging through them was phenomenal. Some godly electricity ran through them and connected them. It locked them away in a bubble of energy, muting sights and sounds significantly. Still, there was this undeniable dark side to the power, tugging at both ladies. They fought for control of power. For fear of not being able to call upon this level of power again, however, neither Nora nor Sara dared to let go of one another.

This dark side pulled and pushed, but the ladies did not budge. Through combined determination and willpower, they subjected the power to their will and became the masters of the power that the Queen and King of the Underworld had granted them. Power that could be tamed by someone who was familiar with the Underworld and then controlled by someone who was familiar with otherworldly power.

"Wow," Sara said. She had never had this level of power inside her, flowing all around her. Now it was tamed, it was incredible and incredibly terrifying to have at her fingertips.

"Now that's power," Nora said and though she looked at Sara, the captain had the feeling she was talking to herself. She smiled widely, as she was truly happy to be in this situation – she controlled the power, not the other way around. Nora would be the one directing the power, not Sara, and the captain was fine with this.

"It's showtime," Sara responded.

This strongly reminded her of when they created Beebo. But whatever would show up now wasn't influenced by their thoughts.

It did not take long before an army of undead warriors rose from the waters of the Acheron.


	31. Destruction

The army of the undead was truly horrific, but definitely on the side of the Legends. Sara and Nora had summoned them from the depths of the Underworld to come and fight for them. They were all decaying bodies with a horrible stench – bodies revealing bones here and there where the flesh had already gone. They wore armor from the times they had perished. On their way out, they seemed to have grabbed any weapon they could find and distributed them unevenly. Some walked around with a sword, some had a spear, a couple of others wielded two axes while their friends walked around with just a shield or their bare hands.

They were under the direct command of Nora and Sara. The stream of zombie warriors did not seem to end. The two ladies divided their attention and divided the army up into three parts. One third would independently help Wally distract the Giantess. The two other thirds were controlled by either Nora or Sara and were directed towards Hecate and Hypnos.

Amaya, Nate, and Constantine were struggling against Hecate. Her clay creatures were relentless and the goddess wasn't going to stop summoning them any time soon. It also did not help that John himself was struggling to keep up with her. Quantity was more important than quality and his clay creations were more easily defeated than hers. Then there was the drowsiness that Hypnos emitted and that affected all Legends in the vicinity. They believed Hypnos was also targeting them, but they couldn't take him out because Hecate provided more than enough distraction as it was.

They needed to beat Hecate. Or they at least needed to make sure she wouldn't target John anymore so he could send her to Hell (and hopefully, she wouldn't appear on the shore of the Acheron for a while).

But new activity at the waterline worried Nate. As he fought, zombie-like warriors ha crawled out of the river and split up. It did not seem like they had good intentions. Nate immediately assumed Hecate called for more back-up when he, Amaya, and John weren't paying attention. As if it wasn't already difficult not to lose…

About a third of the zombies steadily walked towards them; two other groups moved to the other Legends. Nate punched a hole in one of the clay figures and found Amaya, who struck down three of them at the same time with the power of whatever animal spirit she'd recently called upon?

"It's gonna get tougher," Nate told her as he grabbed the arm of one of these creatures and threw it into one of its comrades. He nodded towards the zombies to notify Amaya, who then saw them, too. She did not like these newcomers, but she sighed and prepared for a battle that could be much tougher than before, having to face off against two enemies.

Hecate turned her head to the zombies and glared at them. All newly summoned clay creatures immediately went towards the zombie warriors. Those who Hecate had already summoned still fought Amaya, Nate, and John, but the others focused on the newcomers.

"That's weird," Nate muttered. The words had not even left his mouth when he figured out the zombie army was not here to fight for the goddess of magic, but rather  _against_  her. He had no idea what was going on to have elicited this kind of reaction, but he wouldn't question it. For all he cared, Hades himself had sent them to help. They may have a chance of taking down Hecate now her attention was divided.

Nate left Amaya's side – he was certain she wasn't going to pass away while the formless creatures attacked – and ran over to John's side, to take over. The master of the occult had been casting spells to destroy multiple clay creatures at once, but there always were new creatures waiting to have their asses kicked. That is until Nate swooped in and helped him to get rid of most of the clay creatures that swarmed around John.

"Hey," Nate said, "we're getting some help here."

"I can see that," John responded. His gaze was still focused.

"Amaya and I can take care of Hecate's monsters," Nate said. "It would give you the opportunity to—"

"Yes, I understand." Nate raised his thumb.

"Great!" Nate jogged towards the nearest monster. Behind him, John finally could take a short break from creating clay creatures. And then, he gathered all of the strength he still had and let the energy build up inside of him.

The goddess of magic was not amused by the new threat, but even she found it difficult to focus on two targets at the time. After years, almost two millennia of inactivity and a good and quiet life, she had gotten used to easy fights she always won. Now a more serious threat had surfaced – now she did not know how to properly deal with it.

She didn't notice John building up straight until it was too late. When she did, she tried to redirect the creatures again, to create a barrier between her and John, but it was no use. John only needed to extend his hand to her to allow all of the energy to be released. It fried her, resulting in horrible last cries. The only remains were a small pile of ashes.

She wasn't dead. She couldn't be. Her body may be destroyed, but her spirit was probably transported to the Underworld. The land of the living wouldn't see her for a long, long time. 

Hecate's clay figured melted away and John collapsed – magic cost a lot of energy, and the continuous spell casting had taken its toll. He sat up and took regular breaths, staring at the river and the zombie army that marched towards the Giantess.

"Are you okay?" Amaya asked when she approached him and Nate. John nodded.

"I need a minute." Just one minute – not more and not less. One minute before he would force himself onto his feet and into the next stage of the fight again.

* * *

Hypnos had not noticed the zombie warrior outbreak yet. He was too busy paying attention to his great work of bringing these three Legends – Mick, Zari, and Ray – to their knees. They still struggled to stay awake, as the need to sleep became greater with every passing second.

Mick especially was frustrated by this unnatural feeling. Sleep should only come naturally – it shouldn't be forced on them or used as a weapon. And once they were asleep, Hypnos would not allow them to ever wake up again. Or he might do something else once they slept; the possibilities included being fed to Periboea's monster. And he did not want to be monster food.

Mick had not been planning to go down without a fight. While this was a struggle, it wasn't a real fight. This was just a god bullying his significantly weaker opponents into submission and Mick was not having any of that.

He lifted his head and glared at Sleep personified. He could not stand the smug grin on Hypnos' face, acting as if he'd already won, and anger flared up in the arsonist. It was such an intense fury he had never felt before. His body seemed to heat up as this fury grew. Hypnos grinned even wider when he realized how angry Mick was. Such a pity that these three would soon be sleeping forever.

But as humorous as Mick's anger was to Hypnos, he did not believe it may defeat him. Still, Mick's fury made him strong enough to sit on his knees and glare the dirtiest glare he had and shouted all kinds of profanities.

While Mick glared, his vision was blurring a little - this usually happened when he had drunk a little more than usual. Blurry vision with a hint of purple color around the edges. It was weird and came so suddenly, but Mick paid no attention to it.

Whatever was going on did not just affect Mick. This also negatively affected Hypnos. Mick could feel it; it was as if they were tied together somehow. Whatever Hypnos was seeing – whatever Mick made him see – Hypnos' grin was wiped off of his face within a second and turned his attention to something that was not and never had been there.

What Hypnos saw can only be speculated upon. It might be his greatest fear or a monster to the likes of what Periboea attempted to create. Whatever it was, it drew his attention and alleviated the waves of sleep, for what he saw was apparently terrifying. It did not immediately stop the Legends' drowsiness, but it did stop the pressing need to fall asleep. Ray and Zari recovered from the attack and witnessed how Hypnos screamed and 'defended' himself from something they could not see.

"What is that?" Zari asked. She glanced sideways at Mick, who shrugged.

There was only one reasonable explanation for this. "Dianetics' powers." The god of wine had endorsed him. He had already forgotten what the god had blessed him with, but this had to be that god's work – some secret power he had planted inside the arsonist, waiting to be used at the right moment.

"You mean Dionysus, right?" Ray said.

"Whatever," Mick said. His eyes were still on Hypnos. Mick's wave of insanity seemed to have worn off easily and though Hypnos was not too disoriented, he still seemed to be distraught by what had happened.

The zombies that had come out of the river had reached Hypnos. The three Legends braced themselves for a fight, even though the drowsiness hadn't yet disappeared. They had noticed the clay creatures Hecate had created – it was not that big of a stretch that they brought some back-up that had taken a while to show up. These zombie warriors did not go further than the personification. They threw themselves on Sleep, raising their weapons and hitting him with everything they had.

Hypnos was overwhelmed but remained strangely calm throughout the experience. He was irritated and swatted away anyone who tried to grab him with their hands. He stared at the group and remained quiet, possibly trying the same drowsy-wave attack on these warriors.

It did not work this time around. On any other living being, he would have brought them to their knees and made them sleep. But these warriors had crawled out of hell – they were dead, and the dead did not need to sleep nor can they be persuaded to go to sleep, either. The warriors were unaffected by Hypnos' powers. Once again, his twin brother had beaten him, this time without even being directly involved.

Now Hypnos panicked. He moved his arms and legs as much as he could, to shake off any hands that had grabbed him and to possibly hit someone in the progress. But the zombies were relentless and quickly grabbed a hold of him.

While the majority of zombies still piling up on Hypnos and the personification was barely visible, they still did not do substantial damage to the god. He fought hard to free himself from the claws, but they firmly held him. The small group that kept Hypnos in place carried him back to the river to take him home. Hypnos shouted and tried to command them to do as he said while also cursing his brother Death for being more powerful than him.

Eventually, the zombies disappeared under the water with Hypnos and the shouting subsided. Sleep had been beaten. Maybe that was what had needed to happen: the zombies turned to dust and fell apart.

* * *

In the meantime, Sara and Nora were enjoying their powers, though holding hands was a bit awkward. Sara controlled the group that fought Hecate while Nora took care of the personification of Sleep and the Giantess' cauldron. Nora directed the last group straight to the brew Periboea was trying to make. At the same time, Wally was still distracting the Giantess like how a fly would annoy any person. Except Wally was six times smaller than the Giantess, who did not seem too worried in the first place.

The zombie warriors reached the cauldron and the Giantess. There were not going to take over Wally's job; instead, they decided to focus their efforts on toppling the cauldron or destroying the brew the Giantess tried to brew. If that was destroyed, her plan would be thwarted and only the Giantess herself would have to be taken care of.

The zombie warriors pushed and pulled to the best of their abilities, but the cauldron would not budge. When Nora had some of them climb into the cauldron, this did not work – the cauldron was too steep and slippery and the warriors just tumbled back into the crowds, to try again later.

Periboea noticed the undead warriors that Sara and Nora had called upon. Again, she looked at them as a nuisance rather than a serious threat.

Wally had tried to attack randomly, but after a while, the Giantess noticed a pattern. When he would pass in front of her feet, she only needed to lift her foot. Wally had no time to react and ran into it with so much force, he nearly knocked himself out and needed some time off. Periboea kicked Wally away from her and focused her attention on the cauldron again.

"Can we do any more things?" Sara wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Nora responded and she shrugged.

Nevertheless, Sara tried. But whatever force kept them in control of their zombie-army, it did not help them strike down the Giantess who stared suspiciously at the army.

Periboea only needed a couple of steps to return to her cauldron. With her gloved hands and feet, she easily pushed and shoved the hordes of warriors and kicked them away, towards the river and towards Nora and Sara.

The magical bubble around them was not a force field. Anything could fall through the thin barrior, even a zombie warrior kicked their way to throw the ladies off-balance. The warrior fell directly on top of them. Nora and Sara, who'd been holding hands, had to let go of one another. The power surging through them disappeared - they lost control of the undead army. The corpses turned to dust and the beach seemed bigger and less crowded again.

Hecate was returned to the Underground by John. Hypnos was dragged to the same location through the Acheron. But the cauldron still stood and so did the Giantess.

While Nora and Sara stood up again, the other Legends made their way back to their captain. They had done their job, now they stood and watched the Giantess grin like a madwoman.

Sara and the others got an uneasy feeling from that grin – as if the Giantess was celebrating a victory. Only Periboea knew the exact recipe and the cooking time of whatever she brewed in the cauldron. Her monster could be ready.

Sara was not the only one who believed something big was going to happen. When she turned her head, the other Legends had desperate looks on their faces. Wally joined them again and he, too, could feel the tension in the air.

"Come out, Ólethros," the Giantess said. Its name was in the same style as the personifications. Just as Hypnos is sleep, Ólethros is destruction.

The monster jumped out of the cauldron.


	32. The Acheron

The monster was terrible. It didn't have a proper form yet, as if it were made of clay and mud that hadn't dried yet. But it wasn't clay or mud - little bits and pieces fell off of his two-yard thin arms that ended in four spikes. Little drops, more muddy water than anything else, dropped off of its equally thin body. It resembled the stick figure of an unidentifiable animal, but even that did not seem right. Its legs were small and did not seem capable of holding the weight of the body on their own. Neither the legs nor the arms bent properly — his clumsy, wooden movements seemed fabricated.

Just like the rest of the body, its face was ugly and asymmetrical. It had no eyes, but the sockets had a red gleam to it. It had no nose or ears, but a big mouth with two rows of teeth, possibly more.

The Legends were stunned by the monster's appearance — they had expected it to look like something they'd fought before. Destruction could have easily had the body of an elephant with a tiger head, and they would not have batted an eye. But this thing was disgusting, twice as big as they were, just brought into existence and its skin was still setting in. In its young state, Destruction (or, in Greek, Ólethros) stumbled around on all fours. Disoriented, it blindly hobbled to the trees and munched on the nearest one. It immediately spat out the leaves he'd tried to consume — he was not a herbivore and hungered for something else.

While the Legends were still recovering from the initial shock, Ólethros turned its head to the Legends, knowing what it wanted. Wally reacted immediately, speeding up and running around it, hoping to suffocate it. But this monster did not have lungs (or they were still in development) and Wally was invading its personal space. It did not like that.

The monster swiped its arm to the left tripping the speedster. Wally ended up in the bushes and stayed there for a while. The other Legends attacked, and it continued to swipe its arms in defense. For such a big and slow creature, it was rather quick on its attacks. Nearly everyone ran to it — it never allowed them to lay a finger on him. Mick tried to burn it, but it would not catch fire. John tried to stun it, but it also seemed to be immune to magic. The monster hit Ray, who had approached Ólethros through the air and crashed into the ground a little away from the group.

While the others continued to fight this monster, Zari ran towards Ray. He was sitting upright but wasn't standing or doing anything other than holding a leg. She rushed to him for help.

"Are you okay?" Zari had asked him.

"I think I broke my leg," Ray responded. As he had hit to the ground, he only heard a sickening SNAP. At least he didn't break both legs. Zari was a little skeptical — it wasn't easy to provide an accurate diagnosis. Yet, the suit's metal casing pushed painfully against his leg and when it hurt him to move it just once inch… Ray wasn't that kind of doctor, but that seemed like a broken leg to him.

Ólethros, even as it kept the other Legends at bay, knocked them out or kept them at a distance, sensed Ray was the easiest target of the group. In his vulnerable position, the predator would have an easy time trying to get a taste of that sweet, sweet meat.

Ray was stranded at twenty yards away from Ray. That did not mean it would hobble over to his next victim. It did not walk — it ran.

Despite what you would think, it was extremely fast. It was easy to see past the strange exterior and clunky movements when it was racing towards you to have you for lunch. It was a horrifying sight and lunged at Ray.

Ray lifted his hand and braced for impact. Zari stood next to him, calling upon the winds. It was too fast; it would not be persuaded to pick any other target, and Zari's winds could only slow him down for so long.

But there came no impact. Ray opened his eyes again and lowered his arm. There, in the middle of the beach, stood Nora with her arms pointed towards the monster. She held it back with her telekinesis while it continuously tried to break free from her grasp and have Ray for lunch."

"Nora?" Ray looked at her.

The monster seemed stronger than her. Ólethros gained one more yard and its claws almost reached Ray. Nora luckily found her footing again and tried to keep Destruction under her control.

Zari was too stunned to say or do anything, but she was still cautious. She had her hand on the amulet and positioned herself between the monster and Ray, ready to strike should something else go wrong. When she dared to look away, she saw that Wally was standing by as well while the others had decided to try and fight the Giantess (so she wouldn't easily escape), all the while also monitoring Destruction.

Ray frowned. "What is she doing? Nora!"

Nora flinched for one second — he'd taken her out of her thoughts. This came at the cost of three more yards in Ray's direction. Ólethros was now dangerously close. Zari grabbed Ray by his armpits and dragged him away from the creature. It did not help that he was heavier with the suit on and that she could not easily find her footing on this pebble beach. Pain seared through his legs, but Ray didn't complain — so long as he was out of reach, everything was good.

When they were far enough away, they noticed Nora was walking towards the river, slowly inching closer while she also tried to keep the monster under control. He did not understand what she was planning to do until she placed a foot in the river.

"What is she…"

"She has to do it," Zari said. Someone had to stop the creature. None of their weapons worked, and he was a little too big for any portal John created. They needed an alternative method, such as the one Nora was attempting.

"No!" Ray shouted. He kept his eyes on Nora. "The river will swallow her—"

"—and that thing with it," Zari finished his sentence. There seemed to be no other way. Ólethros wanted to eat, and if Nora could enrage it enough to make it want to eat her instead of Ray, they may stand a chance.

"No," Ray muttered.

The waters of the Acheron reached to Nora's heels. She was slowly losing her grasp on the monster. The monster itself was not aware of what awaited him; it still only cared about having a meal. Any dangers were none of its concern. Nora still did not believe she was deep enough — the river was quite wide — and so she made her way deeper into the river.

A million questions ran through Ray's head. What if she fell before she had finished this job? What would happen then? She wouldn't be able to contain it anymore and it would come straight for them. That was why Zari remained by Ray's side. For her, the scene unfolded in a very familiar way as she remembered the vision the oracle had given her.

Zari glanced aside. The other Legends were doing their best to subdue Periboea, still keeping half an eye on Ólethros as they fought.

Nora now stood in the river with the water up to her knees. At that exact moment, she also turned her head to them. She shot Ray an apologetic look — she gave herself one last opportunity to look at the man she had grown to love and whose love and affection she had grown to appreciate. This one look almost crushed him.

The next look was for Zari. That look was harder, more certain and less sympathetic. It was a look that seemed to ask her to do it. Zari nodded once as a confirmation. She remembered the vision. Finally, Zari saw the context around the vision and knew what she needed to do to make sure the monster would not ravage the earth and create that desolate landscape these opponents, especially Periboea, had longed for.

Zari looked at Destruction, which still glared at Ray. It had chosen no other target, nor had it given up on his prey. It was a sign this monster was narrowminded and did not easily give up on what was right in front of him. Sending it to the Underworld might prove to be a harder job than they could imagine. Which is why Nora needed Zari's help.

Nora yanked her arms as she could and Ólethros was pulled backward, closer to her, by the impact. It was just five yards, but that was more than enough for Nora. She repeated this process as many times as she needed to pull Destruction closer and closer to her and the waterline. It still had no idea what was going on. By the time Nora was done, she only needed to pull one last time to make it hit her.

Nora and Zari glanced one last time at one another and Zari nodded. Zari stepped closer towards Nora and Destruction. Ray shouted she shouldn't do anything and that Nora shouldn't have to sacrifice herself and they would find a way that would make sure everyone survived.

Neither Nora nor Zari liked hearing him say this, but there was no other choice. This needed to be done. Nora pulled her arms one last time and pulled the monster closer. Zari called the winds and directed them towards Ólethros, to give that extra push. The monster almost fell on Nora, who could not move out of the way and disappeared under the water. Zari had little trouble controlling the monsters by herself and when she concentrated, she pushed it deeper into the river.

Ólethros finally realized something was wrong and struggled hard against the winds, attempting to climb out of the river. Even the Giantess had noticed. Zari was thankful the Legends were keeping Periboea distracted enough so she could finish the job. The Giantess may have shouted, but Zari had tuned it all out.

With one last push, Zari pushed the monster underwater. The river only calmed when Destruction was completely submerged and Zari fell to her knees. She did not look away from the Acheron, half expecting Destruction to return to this world, to do what it was created to do.

But it did not come back. Neither did Nora.

"NO!" The Giantess' roar scared away the nearby wildlife. She was furious, but she was also still distracted and now distraught at her creation's demise. The Legends in her vicinity took their chance and attacked Periboea.

Nate and Amaya — with a skin of steel and the spirit of a gorilla — destabilized by pulling one leg out from under her with their combined strength. The Giantess fell over without landing on top of any nearby Legends. As she fell, she almost dragged the cauldron with her and scraped her hand and knee.

She landed badly. Her left arm had ended up under her body and did not make it easy for her to stand up again. This was another lucky chance the Legends took with both hands. John especially seemed agitated. He conjured up a sword and stepped towards the Giantess. He stabbed away at the Giantess' abdomen.

He stabbed her multiple times and often went as deep as he could. She took her arm from under her body and swatted John away from her. He landed on the pebble beach and did not immediately get up.

But Mick would not allow John to have all the fun, or to allow Periboea to get up now she's gotten rid of the nuisance at her stomach. He ran to her and set her aflame. He spread them evenly on her. Unlike Destruction, normal flames could burn her. Though, whether John was aiding Mick from a distance or whether Mick's fury also enhanced his own flames was left ambiguous. Periboea cried out in desperate and high-pitched screams. She tried to douse the fire on her own, but she panicked. She had never been aflame before. She may not have believed she could burn like that. Periboea rushed to the river to douse it.

At first, she only remained at the riverside and while the water relieved the pain, it was still too shallow for her in her size. She went deeper into the river, and deeper and deeper. But the Giantess was heavy, six times as heavy as a regular person, and once she was in deep enough, the Acheron worked its magic. She sank through the ground, drawn in deeper by the Acheron. There was nothing she could do; when she tried to reach for the shore and dug her fingers in the ground, still underwater in the shallows, but it was to no avail. The Legends could only watch as the water swallowed Periboea and she returned to the prison she had escaped from.

The waters calmed down again. The whole area calmed down again. The only thing that pointed to something having happened in this area was the Legends and the now empty cauldron.

Sara stared at the river. She never believed the end could feel so… anti-climactic. She thought there'd be another rush of energy, one more boost to her confidence, one moment of happiness. But after witnessing the Giantess behave in such a strangely human way... She shouldn't be feeling like there was something strange about this.

But it was over. The Giantess was defeated and Sara was grateful that it was done.


	33. Victorious

Zari walked into Ray's room, where he sat on his bed. He hadn't left since they had returned from the Acheron valley and had his leg healed. He had wanted to only be patched up so he could mope in his room, but Sara refused this and Ray stayed to have every little wound healed. He just stared at the bare wall, at nothing in particular. He leaned against the wall while he sat and he did not look up when she approached him.

"Hey," Zari said.

"Hey," Ray responded in a rare moment of sadness and being unenergetic.

"How are you?" She asked him. As expected, this question struck a certain nerve as his mind immediately jumped to Nora.

"We could've saved her," Ray said in a soft monotone. Zari shook her head once and took a step closer.

"Ray…"

"We could've found a way," Ray continued without looking at her. "She didn't need you to… you didn't have to push her over the edge." His gaze hardened. He may refrain from trying to glare directly. This was both comforting and strange at the same time.

"About that," Zari said as she took a deep breath. "Nora couldn't do it alone. Our eyes crossed. She looked at me, begging to help her. She wanted it."

"No," Ray said. He wanted to point out the flaw in Zari's explanation, even though the monster would be stronger than Nora if she tried to pull him into the Underworld while she fell. She needed help and Ray couldn't provide it, so Zari did. But Ray seemed to miss the point. In his grief-struck mind, he still thought they could have saved her. "You still didn't have to."

"Yes, I did," Zari said in her calmest tone, hoping to keep Ray calm, too. "I have seen myself do it before."

Ray finally turned his head to her, a confused look in her eyes. They were red, Zari only now noticed, and tears had stained his cheeks. "What?"

"In my vision," Zari said, "I saw Nora. She was standing in the river and controlled the monster." From that angle, Nora could have been doing anything. Only after seeing it in real life did Zari believe Nora was trying to do something good instead of something evil, as Zari had believed throughout this adventure.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ray asked. He genuinely wondered why Zari kept this piece of information to herself. He did not blame her for it, so that was at least good.

"Because you had just heard she was holding hands with Sara," Zari said. In her mind, Ray may have been ravaged if he had interpreted this as Sara and Nora getting it on as a couple. "Also, in my vision, she might as well have joined the Giantess. She could've been fooling us. And if she would come on board and betray us, I didn't want to give you false hope with a positive interpretation." He'd be heartbroken again, putting his trust in this woman, and Zari could not watch him fall for it again.

Zari sat down next to him on the bed and placed herself upon it, with her back against the wall. It felt appropriate for what she was trying to do.

"We had to stop it," Zari continued, staring at the same piece of wall Ray had stared at seconds ago. "Nora took a risk. She knew what she was doing. She made a conscious decision and we need to live with it." She briefly paused. "You were right. She was good."

"She was," Ray said, and a saddened smile came across his face. He mourned her, but the thought of her still brought a smile to his face.

"I'm sorry for not telling you earlier," Zari said. Ray placed a hand on her shoulder and softly squeezed it.

"It's okay," he said. "You were trying to protect me."

Zari nodded. At least he wasn't mad at her. Despite his emotional turmoil, you could always count on Ray to be the voice of reason.

"Come on," Zari said. "We're eating outside today. They need someone to make a fire that won't likely turn into a forest fire." If you don't come, there's a high chance Mick will light the campfire which will cause trouble.

Ray understood and chuckled. "I'll be there in a second," he said. Zari exited the room.

He remained in his room for another two minutes before he rose from his bed and left the room to join the other Legends.

* * *

Eventually, Ray came down from the Waverider and made a fire that would not burn down the forest and then they could get this impromptu barbecue started. They had Mick bring some meat from the Waverider's kitchen and all of them consumed it except for Zari, who had a salad instead.

Everyone was having fun, all things considered. They were still near the river, and the thought alone was enough to dampen the mood in an instant. Especially Nate seemed to be trouble – his face had grown pale, and he didn't eat much either way. Wasn't hungry, he said. He barely spoke a word to anyone. Amaya figured he needed time to process what had just happened and maybe the little stunt in the Underworld finally showed its consequences. He probably needed time, and it wasn't very crazy he may even a little sick from the entire experience.

They were about halfway through their dinner when their peace was disrupted by an unwelcome visitor. Wally was the first to notice him, and so he alerted everyone else to the visitor's presence. He was patient enough to wait until everyone had noticed him before he stepped into the light.

Near the Waverider stood a familiar stranger in a business. In the dark, with that hairstyle, they might have mistaken him for Rip Hunter without his trench coat, had they not known that it was Hermes standing in front of them and approaching them.

"You," Mick growled. He immediately rose to his feet. It was a good thing he didn't have his heat gun with him at the moment – he might have tried to barbecue the god for everything they had to go through.

Hermes calmly raised his hands. "I come in peace," he said in a tone that suggested he did not want to fight and, like the last time they spoke, he just came to talk. Now he had come closer, the Legends could see he was smiling at them; a genuine grin on his lips. "I came to congratulate you on your victory. Well done."

"Thank you," Sara said. She'd wanted to call him 'sir', but was that even right? And if not, what other title was she supposed to use in this case? Or was it just as appropriate to call him by his name instead of an arbitrary title?

Hermes nodded his head. "What you had to do was not an easy task. As compensation for your service, you have a place in Elysium."

Zari nodded once. "Thank you, but I'd rather work for it."

"Understood," Hermes said and his gaze crossed John's, who rolled his eyes. He'd probably lose that spot within the next year – if they could equate Elysium with Heaven, John's entrance to it couldn't just be secured by this one mission. He'd need to do a lot of other things he didn't particularly care for right now.

Hermes noticed one glass of wine was left untouched. It was meant for Nate, but since he wasn't feeling too well, he had not touched it yet. He believed that alcohol may worsen his situation. Hermes picked up that glass and raised it.

"To the finest heroes this age has ever known," he said and downed it in one gone. Some Legends followed his example, but not everyone did.

"Can I ask one question?" John asked and everyone turned their heads to him. They had no idea what this question would be.

Hermes nodded once. "Of course."

"When something like this happens again, don't call us again," John said bluntly.

"That wasn't a question," Hermes replied, his tone shifting ever so slightly. It was a dangerous tone; it suggested not to go against the will of the gods. It warned them not to oppose him. But since when had Constantine ever cared about the gods.

"I think what he means to say," Sara said to placate the god, "is that we can take care of these kinds of problems without you pointing us in the right direction."

"I don't doubt that," Hermes said. The tensions that had briefly flared up seemed to have been calmed now. He glared at John for a second, as if to say he had been lucky today and it would not happen at a later date. Hermes turned to the group again.

"After today, I will not see you again. We will only meet when you are making your final journeys. Please take your time and treasure the years on this world. Elysium is beautiful, but nothing compares to Earth." He looked at each Legend separately and his gaze seemed to linger just a little too long on Nate, who refused to look directly at the god and was even paler than when the evening started.

"Good luck, Legends." Hermes had one last satisfied smile on his face. "If you ever need help, you need only pray."

The god turned his back on them and he vanished as he walked away. The Legends finally had their peace and could enjoy the rest of their dinner.


	34. Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm a dummy and forgot to update last week and I just noticed. But here's the final chapter! Thanks to those who wanted to read this all the way through, I greatly appreciate it.

After excusing himself, Nate stumbled towards the forest. Nobody noticed he did not go to the Waverider but passed it. Only Amaya saw it; the others assumed Nate was feeling ill and that he was going to his room to sleep it off and that he'd be feeling fine after a couple of days.

The stars watched as he walked unevenly, clutching his stomach with one hand. Nate knew where the aching came from, but that did not mean it was any less unpleasant. His vision became unreliable and blurry and he nearly bumped into a tree. There was this ringing in his ears he couldn't get rid of. He missed a step and fell on his stomach, not putting much effort into breaking his fall.

Nate then emptied his stomach before attempting to stand up again. His legs were unsteady and he was light-headed. He may pass out soon, but dared not to give in – he did not want his legs to give way again. It was warm suddenly and he sloppily took off his jacket, exposing his sweaty arms and neck to the cold breeze. His body was burning up, his stomach was upset and breathing became more painful with each breath.

How long ago did he wander off? Nate wasn't sure. The fall and fever and messed up his already messed-up sense of time. Ten minutes? Half an hour? Maybe even two hours? They were all possible. His fever brain insisted there still wasn't enough distance between him and the other Legends. Why did there need to be a distance? Nate wouldn't be able to give a clear answer, but he knew he needed to get further away to satisfy.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nate raised his head as soon as he heard the voice, panic taking over here. They shouldn't be here!

It wasn't a Legend. A dark-haired older woman in a white tunic and a sad expression on her face stood before him. Nate frowned – he almost wanted to address her as mother nature, but that couldn't be right. He connected the dots after a while.

"Phil?"

"You don't need to leave them now," Phil said. Nate shook his head.

"Don't I?" He swallowed down a bit of vomit that rose in his throat. It left a burning sensation, but that was better than throwing up in front of Philotes. Not that he cared. "I can make those decisions for myself."

He couldn't keep it down. For the second time within what could easily be ten minutes or two hours, he threw up. Wasn't it supposed to relieve some pain or even his stomach throwing a fit? Shouldn't he feel at least a little better?

"Don't you want your friends around?" Phil asked. Nate shook his head again, wiping his mouth with his sweaty arm.

"It's better for everyone." Nate truly believed this would be better. Why? He couldn't tell. But his fever brain insisted this was the right way to go about things. His fever brain was wrong.

"Only for you," Phil said as she folded her arms. "You will know what happened, but they won't. They'll look for you and they will find you. They will not know what happened. You'll leave them in uncertainty for the rest of their lives."

"So?" What was so bad about that? At least he wouldn't see their tears and they wouldn't have to witness his death. That was a win-win situation.

"You're not alone," Phil said.

"What if I prefer to be alone right now?" He just wanted to die in peace with nobody around to remind him who he was leaving behind. He should be able to choose how he filled his last moments.

"Liar," Phil said. Her voice was stronger for a moment and the frown on her face said everything he needed to know. "Nobody wants to be alone in their darkest hour."

"Nathaniel?" This time, it was Amaya who called his name from afar. Nate panicked – she shouldn't come, she wasn't supposed to see him like this! He looked at Phil again and she seemed suspiciously happy about Amaya's impending arrival.

"Phil…" he wanted to say more, but nausea overwhelmed him. He may just throw up again.

"I am Friendship," Phil declared. "My gift to you was for your friends to be there in your darkest hour. Hermes may have lifted the champion status off of the Olympian champions, but not yours." And this was his darkest hour – his last moments on Earth.

Nate shook his head once – she had been so helpful before, but now she thwarted him.

"Why?"

"You need this," Phil said. "I will see you on the other side." She turned away from him, and walked away, disappearing as she walked. Nate panicked again – the goddess had left, Amaya came closer with every passing second, and he had no idea what he could do.

"Phil, wait." He'd wanted to shout, but he couldn't - he wouldn't shout ever again.

"Nathaniel." Amaya had arrived. He turned around and pushed himself away from the tree he'd been leaning against to look at her and seem more healthy. He didn't stand stably, but it would have to do for now.

"It's okay," he said, forcing a smile on his face when she rightly was worried about him. His stomach and body wholeheartedly disagreed with him and sent the next wave of burning pain. "I'm fine."

"You're pale," Amaya said (all color had been drained from his face) and she took a couple of steps closer to him. He shrugged it off, but somehow this action imbalanced him.

"Am I now?" he said with a faint smile on his face. "Figures."

The world tilted and Nate lost all feeling in his legs. Before he noticed what was going on, he already was on the ground. Amaya kneeled beside him, a concerned look on her face. If she had shouted his name as he fell, he genuinely hadn't heard it.

With great effort, he pushed himself to sit upright. He may not have the strength to stand anymore, but he wasn't going to just lay down when his legs refused to carry him. He thought it would be better to sit up. It was exhausting but worth it.

"I'll get help," Amaya said. She was about to stand up, but Nata quickly grabbed her arm. He didn't hold her tightly, but it was enough.

"No," he said. "Please stay with me." Amaya nodded and Nate stared at her with tears in his eyes. Phil was right – what kind of person would want to spend their last moments on Earth alone? It scared him. He shouldn't even be afraid. He sort of knew what was coming for him, if he ended up in the Greek Underworld at least. He had never believed in anything religiously – did that mean there even was something for him? Or did he sufficiently believe to enter the Asphodel Fields? Still, it couldn't be great to spend the rest of eternity under a gray sky and a depressing mood.

"What happened?" Amaya then asked him.

"I'm sorry," he said. He was apologizing for his own actions. He couldn't go out without Amaya knowing. "I'm so sorry. Hades wouldn't let go of your soul unless he could claim another."

"Yours," she said as the truth dawned on her.

"You had to live," Nate said, placing a hand on his stomach. The next wave would hit him any second. Or was his stomach just playing games?

"You didn't need to do that," Amaya told him.

"You had to live," Nate repeated. He couldn't stop it now; he developed a nasty couch now and it was bad enough that he barely had time to gasp for breaths in between coughs. Once he was done, a couple of minutes had passed and blood mixed with slime and saliva lay in a small pool next to him.

Great. Another side-effect. Was this one of the last or would more follow? Either way, symptoms were changing and making combinations. His stomach stayed quiet, but he was feeling nauseous and light-headed again. One thing that didn't change was his heavy limbs and that his body was literally burning. If it weren't for his present company, he may also have torn off his other pieces of clothing.

There was a flash of light; the resident speedster had arrived. He must have been looking for Amaya and Nate.

"What the…" Wally couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Get help," Amaya told him, and Wally nodded, speeding off again.

"This is taking longer than I thought," Nate commented.

"He'll get some help," Amaya told him, possibly to comfort him. "You'll be fine."

"I won't," Nate said. Why else wouldn't she have suggested Wally to bring him to the med bay? Why else didn't she just pick him up and bring him there? Hades would have Nate's soul. He had claimed it when he allowed Amaya to return to life. Nothing in this world was going to prevent him from having this soul.

"I don't regret it," Nate then said out of the blue. He didn't have to talk, but he did. Filling the silence with nonsense was better than sitting in silence and agonizing over the little things. It also relieved him only slightly from his pain.

"Nathaniel…" Nate shook his head to shut her up.

"I don't," he repeated. "He'll have my soul. It's fine. I made peace with it." Still, it hurt to leave her and the other Legends behind.

The world spun around him; it was getting harder to breathe. His back and his were also starting to get tired of keeping him seated upright. It was time to lie down for a bit. Which naturally worried Amaya. Yet with a smile – a small and brief smile – it was getting harder to even just smile – he reassured her for a little while.

"Did I ever tell you that you look great?" With this sentence, he succeeded in making Amaya smile one last time for him. It was a nice sight to behold. A sight he could not bear to miss, a sight perfect for a moment like this. one more good memory of her.

But even great memories could grow sour. The pains in his body slowly grew number. Everything was numb. He found he could barely lift his arm anymore and officially could no longer feel his legs. Hades was approaching – no, Thanatos was. Hades did not reap souls, he just ruled over the dead.

What would they tell Hank? What would happen after? How unfortunate he had to pass away right when he and his father were trying to create a meaningful connection again. Hank wouldn't appreciate it.

Nate didn't hear them right away, but footsteps were coming closer, and then stopped. The Legends had arrived.

"What's going on?"

"He's dying."

Someone had asked the question and someone else had answered it. He hadn't seen who had spoken and in his sorry state, he failed the recognize the two masculine voices as John and Ray.

With everything he still had in him, Nate lifted his head to look at the group one last time. They had all come to him, even Constantine. How thoughtful.

"Thanks, guys. For everything," he said. were they able to hear him? Maybe only Amaya could – it came out as a whisper that was also a half-mumble.

"You are not dying here," Sara said, shaking her head, determined not to let this happen, even though she could do nothing about it.

Maybe she had said something else. Maybe she had not. but Nate could not hear it if she had spoken again. His eyes crossed Amaya again – tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at him. She was sad. That made him sad.

His eyes moved away from the woman he loved and he looked up. His legs had stopped working at a place where the trees were far enough from one another so that he could see the night sky. A million stars, a million white dots in the night sky. Truly a sight to behold.

He breathed in. He counted the constellations. He recognized the big dipper, the little dipper, and more. The stars came closer – or did he go higher? – which made identifying the constellations harder. Soon the stars swarmed around him, spun around him, faster and faster and closer and closer until Nate saw only white.

Then they disappeared. There was only dark.


End file.
